Children Talk About the Mind

The emerging concept of other people is a critical phase in childhood develoment with deep implications for learning, language and the entire socialization process. But what, exactly, do children understand about the mind? And when does that understanding first occur? In this groundbreaking book, Karen Bartsch and Henry Wellman answer these questions and much more by looking at what children themselves have to tell us about their evolving conceptions of people and their mental lives. By examining thousands of everyday conversations the authors advance a comprehensive "naive theory of mind" that incorporates both early desire and belief-desire theories to trace childhood development through its several stages. Throughout, the book offers a splendidly written account of extensive original findings and critical new insights that will be eagerly read by students and researchers in developmental psychology, cognitive psychology, philosophy, and psycholinguistics.