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On the domain specificity of the mechanisms underpinning spontaneous anticipatory looks in false‐belief tasks
Author(s) -
Surian Luca,
Franchin Laura
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
developmental science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.801
H-Index - 127
eISSN - 1467-7687
pISSN - 1363-755X
DOI - 10.1111/desc.12955
Subject(s) - psychology , underpinning , cognitive psychology , domain (mathematical analysis) , false positive paradox , developmental psychology , social psychology , artificial intelligence , computer science , mathematical analysis , civil engineering , mathematics , engineering
Many studies proposed that infants' and adults' looking behavior suggest a spontaneous and implicit ability to reason about others' beliefs. It has been argued, however, that these successes are false positives due to domain‐general processes, such as retroactive interference. In this study, we investigated the domain specificity of mechanisms underpinning participants' looking behavior by manipulating the dynamic cues in the event stimuli. Infants aged 15 and 20 months and adults saw animation events in which either a self‐moving triangle, or a hand holding an identical inert triangle, chased an animated disk. Most 20‐month‐olds and adults showed belief congruent anticipatory looks in the agent‐triangle condition, whereas they showed no bias in the inert triangle control condition. These results are not consistent with submentalizing accounts based on domain‐general low‐level processes and provide further support for domain‐specific explanations positing an early‐emerging mentalistic reasoning.