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Young Children's Theory of Mind Predicts More Sharing With Friends Over Time
Author(s) -
Vonk Jennifer,
Jett Stephanie E.,
Tomeny Theodore S.,
Mercer Sterett H.,
Cwikla Julie
Publication year - 2018
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.13112
Subject(s) - prosocial behavior , psychology , developmental psychology , theory of mind , social psychology , test (biology) , cognition , paleontology , neuroscience , biology
Children (predominantly white and middle class) between 3 and 6 years ( M = 55.12 months, N = 145 at Time 1, N = 102 at Time 2) participated in the prosocial choice test at two time points approximately 10 months apart. Children could share with strangers, close friends, nonfriends, and in a control, no recipient condition. Children shared more rewards with friends over time. Age interacted with recipient type such that older children had a higher probability of prosocial allocations toward friends and strangers compared to younger children. Theory of mind (ToM) predicted more prosocial allocations to friends over time, and the youngest children with higher ToM scores showed the largest increase in sharing with friends over time.