Theory of mind (ToM) is an integral social-cognitive skill encompassing a person’s ability to attribute mental states. It is the ability to determine what others are thinking. The theory was coined by Premack and Woodruff in 1978, triggering various issues in human development (Meunier, 2017). It is one of the most important skills for getting along with other people. Having a theory of mind is crucial because it enables an individual to predict and understand how other people will act. During childhood development, children learn the fundamental abilities required to create their theory of mind, such as paying attention to others and mimicking what they do.
The Theory’s Assumption Regarding Autism Spectrum Disorder
There are several assumptions from the theory of the mind about autism. Firstly, the theory assumes that people with autism cannot anticipate the mental state of others (Livingston et al., 2019). This is because they suffer from mind-blindness, which is the inability to read the mind of other people. This leads to social communication difficulties experienced by most individuals with the disorder. Secondly, the theory posits that individuals with autism cannot pass the false belief test. This is often used to test a young child’s ability to understand how other people think.
The Techniques from The Theory
There are techniques derived from the theory of the mind that can be used to help a person with an autism spectrum disorder. Applied behavior analysis (ABA) is an intervention that can be employed to deal with behavioral matters stemming from social or communication deficits. This can be used in training to reinforce appropriate behaviors. Mind mapping is a technique that can enhance an individual’s ability to read the mind of other people. It enables them to determine the relationship between individual pieces of information. The other technique that can be utilized is cognitive behavioral therapy.
The Strengths and Limitations of The Theory of Mind
The theory of mind has strengths and weaknesses that can be explored. One of the strengths is that the theory has helped develop interventions to improve social interactions and communication among individuals with autism (Jara-Ettinger, 2019). The other strength of the theory is that the focus is on helping people see and understand how their minds work. However, the theory has failed to consider the existence of errors in reading the mind of others. There are people without autism who cannot read the mind of other people due to a lack of skills and capability (Cole & Millett, 2019). Another shortcoming is that the theory can make an individual hyperaware of how others perceive them.
Titles and Names of Journals
- The first journal title is “Recent advances and new directions in measuring theory of mind in autistic adults.” The authors of this journal are Livingston, Carr, and Shah. This research focused on describing the theory of mind and its development among people with autism.
- The second journal title is “The closing of the theory of mind: A critique of perspective-taking.” The authors illustrate the gaps in the theory of mind by illustrating people’s ability to read the mind of others. In addition, the article explores some of the shortcomings of the theory.
- The third article’s title is “Theory of mind as inverse reinforcement learning.” It explains how the theory can be used to promote reinforcement learning. It focuses on the success of learning and the challenges the theory faces.
References
Cole, G. G., & Millett, A. C. (2019). The closing of the theory of mind: A critique of perspective-taking. Psychonomic bulletin & review, 26(6), 1787-1802. Web.
Jara-Ettinger, J. (2019). Theory of mind as inverse reinforcement learning. Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, 29, 105-110. Web.
Livingston, L. A., Carr, B., & Shah, P. (2019). Recent advances and new directions in measuring theory of mind in autistic adults. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 49(4), 1738-1744. Web.
Meunier, H. (2017). Do monkeys have a theory of mind? How to answer the question? Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 82, 110-123. Web.