Premium
Theory of Mind and Rule Use in Individuals With Down's Syndrome: A Test of the Uniqueness and Specificity Claims
Author(s) -
Zelazo Philip David,
Burack Jacob A.,
Benedetto Elizabeth,
Frye Douglas
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
journal of child psychology and psychiatry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.652
H-Index - 211
eISSN - 1469-7610
pISSN - 0021-9630
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-7610.1996.tb01429.x
Subject(s) - psychology , uniqueness , test (biology) , theory of mind , developmental psychology , social psychology , psychiatry , cognition , paleontology , biology
The relationship between Theory of Mind (ToM) and rule use was explored in adults with Downs Syndrome (DS) and in non‐handicapped pre‐schoolers. Twelve low‐functioning individuals with DS (mean mental age = 5.1 years, mean chronological age = 22.7) performed worse than 12 MA‐matchcd non‐handicapped children (mean MA =5.1 years) on several standard ToM tasks and on a color‐shape card‐sorting task in which subjects were required to switch between two incompatible sets of rules. On the ToM tasks, people with DS tended to focus on a single slate of affairs (e.g. the present situation). Likewise, on the card sort. these subjects tended to use a single set of rules on all trials. Performance in the two types of [ask was positively correlated when MA was partialed out. The results are inconsistent with the claim that ToM reflects a domain‐specific psychological function and the notion that deficits in ToM are unique to individuals with autism. Copyright © 1996 Association for Child Psychology and Psychiatry.