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Beliefs About Thought Probability: Evidence for Persistent Errors in Mindreading and Links to Executive Control
Author(s) -
Hansen Lagattuta Kristin,
Sayfan Liat,
Harvey Christina
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
child development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.103
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1467-8624
pISSN - 0009-3920
DOI - 10.1111/cdev.12154
Subject(s) - psychology , perspective (graphical) , aside , cognitive psychology , control (management) , developmental psychology , working memory , inhibitory control , executive functions , social psychology , cognition , artificial intelligence , computer science , art , literature , neuroscience
Four‐ to 10‐year‐olds' and adults' ( N = 263) ability to inhibit privileged knowledge and simulate a naïve perspective were examined. Participants viewed pictures that were then occluded aside from a small ambiguous part. They offered suggestions for how a naïve person might interpret the hidden pictures, as well as rated the probability that a naïve person would think of several different pictures (with one picture being the actual item). Results indicated a significant increase between ages 4 and 7 years in attributing novel interpretations; however, all age groups overestimated the probability that a naïve person could guess the actual pictures. Individual differences in working memory and inhibitory control predicted participants' thought suggestions as well as aspects of their probability judgments.