Kimberly Frazier
University of Arkansas, USA
Title: Deception and Theory of Mind in Typically developing children and children with autism
Biography
Biography: Kimberly Frazier
Abstract
Theory of Mind (ToM) centers on one’s ability to understand another person’s beliefs, knowledge, emotions, and intentions. Additionally, it involves an individual assuming the existence of mental states and then using that assumption to justify, explain, and calculate another person's behavior (Baron-Cohen, 1989). This understanding is then used to navigate social situations appropriately. The recognition of others’ own thoughts as a result of ToM is typically seen around the age of four (Sussman, 2006); however, in children diagnosed with autism, this may not develop until much later. This cognitive delay leads to social impairment, which is a key characteristic of autism spectrum disorders. ToM goes hand in hand with deception and false belief, which are also difficult for children with autism to grasp. This impairment of deception and false belief comprehension is the basis of this research. The study involved typically developing children and children with autism between the ages of nine and ten and a developmentally appropriate board game.
This study aims to provide insight to deception and false belief tasks with children with autism. The information gained from this study will offer students and professionals interested in this field a better understanding as to how to administer pragmatic therapies to children with autism spectrum disorder.