Do theory of mind delays explain children's social problems?

心智理论——我们理解他人想法和感受的能力——在学龄前和上学早期显著增长。这被认为是社会发展的关键时期，但30年的研究尚未回答以下基本问题：拥有相对先进的心智理论的孩子是否也擅长在学校的日常世界中驾驭友谊和同伴群体动态？反过来，在获得心智理论方面的发育迟缓能否解释自闭症或耳聋儿童面临的一些同伴问题？拟议的纵向项目旨在成为第一个为这些核心问题提供全面和因果令人信服的答案。

Theory of mind—our capacity to understand what other people think and feel—grows significantly in the preschool and early school years. This is recognised as a crucial period for social development yet 30 years of research has not yet answered these basic questions: Do children with relatively advanced theories of mind also excel at navigating the everyday world of friendship and peer group dynamics at school? And conversely, do developmental delays in acquiring a theory of mind explain some of the peer problems that children with autism or deafness face? The proposed longitudinal project aims to be the first to supply a comprehensive and causally convincing answer to these core questions.