Kura m v e Uygulamad a Egiti m Bilimler i • EducationalSciences:Theory & Practic e - 11(4 ) »Autum n • 1821-182 6 *201 1 Egiti m Daniçmanlig i v e Arastirmala n iletisi m Hizmetler i Tic . Ltd . Sti . Th e Developmen t o f Theor y o f Min d Accordin g t o Fals e Belie f Performanc e o f Childre n Age s 3 t o 5 Baha r KECEL Í KAYSIL I Ankar a Universit y Fund a ACARLA R Ankar a Universit y Abstrac t Thi s stud y ha s examine d th e rol e o f ag e i n th e fals e belie f understandin g i n typicall y developin g childre n an d t o deternnin e i f th e differen t typ e o f fals e belie f task s affect s performanc e o n fals e belief . Th e surve y researc h de - sig n wa s used . Fals e belie f understandin g wa s measure d i n 7 2 childre n betwee n th e age s o f 3.0 0 t o 5.1 1 yea r old . Th e sampl e consiste d o f 1 2 childre n i n eac h ag e grou p an d ag e group s wer e divide d int o si x mont h period . Fou r fals e belie f task s wer e conducted . Th e finding s o f thi s stud y indicate d tha t th e fals e belie f understandin g o f Turkis h speakin g childre n betwee n th e age s o f 3. 0 t o 5.1 1 yea r ol d ha d som e similaritie s a s wel l a s som e dif- ference s t o childre n speakin g othe r tha n Turkish . 3 yea r ol d childre n seeme d t o hav e develope d a n understan - din g o f th e ow n fals e belie f befor e the y develope d a clea r understandin g o f others ' fals e belief . I t wa s clea r tha t th e rapi d chang e o f understandin g fals e belie f seeme d t o hav e appeare d a t 4. 6 yea r old . Keyword s Theor y o f Mind . Fals e Belief . Min d Reading . Theor y o f min d refer s t o a n understandin g o f men - ta l state s suc h a s belief , desir e an d knov^fledg e tha t enable s u s t o explai n an d predic t others ' behavio r (WeUma n & Estes , 1986) . I n brief , theor y o f min d i s t o b e abl e t o reflec t o n th e content s o f one' s ow n an d othe r mind s (Baron-Cohen , 2000) . Develop - menta l evidenc e suggest s tha t suc h thirüdn g i s no t automati c fo r youn g chüdren , wh o mus t develo p a numbe r o f skiU s i n orde r t o reac h th e adul t leve l o f competenc e i n understandin g o f menta l states . Precursor s o f theor y o f min d includ e join t atten - tion , appreciatio n o f intentionality , recognitio n tha t differen t peopl e hav e differen t perspectives . Baha r KECEL i KAYSIL I i s currentl y a lecture r an d a doctorat e studen t a t th e Departmen t o f Specia l Education . He r researc h interest s includ e teac - hin g languag e an d communicatio n t o childre n wit h autis m an d developmenta l relationship s betwee n languag e an d theor y o f mind . Corres- pondence: Baha r Keçel i Kaysili . Ankar a Univer - sity . Facult y o f Educationa l Sciences . Departmen t o f Specia l Education , Ankara/Turkey . E-mail : kaysiliSeducation.ankara.edu.t r Phone : +9 0 31 2 36 3 3 3 50/3 0 U . us e o f menta l stat e word s an d preten d pla y (MiUer , 2006) . Betwee n 3 an d 5 year s o f age , importan t de - velopmenta l change s i n theor y o f min d tak e plac e (d e ViUier s & Pyers , 2002 ; Flavell , Everett , Croft , & FlaveU , 1981 ; WeUman , Cross , & Watson , 2001 ; Youngblad e & Dunn , 1995) . Tw o yea r ol d childre n migh t understan d desires , perception , an d emo - tion s (Bartsc h & WeUman , 1995 ; WeUman , PhiUps , & Rodriguez , 2000) . Chüdre n a t thre e year s ca n distinguis h betwee n th e menta l an d physica l world s an d fro m thre e year s o f ag e chüdre n ca n gras p th e subjectivit y o f thought s (FlaveU , FlaveU , Green , & Moses , 1990 ; Watson , Gelman , & WeU - man , 1998 ; WeUma n & Estes , 1986) . Thre e an d fou r yea r old s als o distinguis h thinkin g fro m do - in g (FlaveU , Gree n & FlaveU , 1995) . Menta l state s ar e no t onl y non-physical ; the y als o provid e th e cause s an d explanation s fo r persons ' action s an d experience s (WeUma n & Lagattuta , 2000) . Mos t subsequen t researc h o n th e developmen t o f theor y o f min d ha s concerne d fals e belief s betwee n 3 an d 5 year s o f age , an d thei r rol e i n th e predictio n o r explanatio n o f behavior , an d i n attempt s t o manip - ulat e behavior . Wimme r an d Perne r (1983 ) showe d 1821 1 EDUCATIONA L SCIENCES : THEOR Y & PRACTIC E tha t a full-fledge d TO M doesn' t develo p befor e th e ag e o f 3/4 . The y se t u p a serie s o f experimenta l test s i n orde r t o chec k whethe r childre n betwee n 3 an d 5 year s o f ag e wer e abl e t o attribut e a fals e belie f t o someon e else . Comprehendin g fals e belie f i s th e cleares t sig n o f tmderstandin g a critica l aspec t o f th e mind : it s subjectivit y an d it s susceptibilit y t o manipulatio n b y informatio n (Dennett , 1978 ; Wimme r & Perner , 1983) . Widel y use d version s o f first orde r fals e belie f task s ar e th e appearanc e realit y distinction , th e unex - pecte d content s fals e behe f an d chang e i n locatio n tasks . The y ar e calle d first-order test s becaus e the y onl y involv e inferrin g on e person' s menta l state . Accordin g t o Wellma n e t al . (2001 ) stud y allowe d a n estimat e o f th e probabilit y o f passin g th e fals e belie f tas k a t variou s ages : A t 2. 5 years , childre n wer e les s tha n likel y t o pas s fals e belie f tasks ; a t 3 year s 8 months , childre n wer e 50 % correct ; an d a t 4 year s 8 month s chiliire n wer e abou t 75 % correct . Yoimge r childre n (3-year s an d 5 month s o r young - er ) eithe r fai l o r perfor m a t chanc e levels , wherea s olde r childre n pas s th e task , givin g a n adul t lik e answe r a t bette r tha n chanc e level s (Flavell , 1999 ; Mose s 8 f FlaveU , 1990 ; Wimme r & Perner , 1983) . Individua l difference s i n children' s theor y o f min d hav e bee n propose d b y Bartsc h an d Este s (1996) . Thes e ar e individua l difference s i n anteceden t causes , individua l difference s i n th e consequence s o f arrivin g earl y o r lat e t o a theor y o f mind , th e possibilit y o f qualitativ e difference s i n theor y o f min d acros s individual s (famil y variables , othe r cognitiv e an d languag e abilitie s an d variou s socia l outcom e measures) . Childre n i n differen t countrie s performe d differentl y i n th e fals e belie f tasks : A t 4 4 months , America n childre n wer e 50 % correct , Aus - tralian s wer e 69 % correc t an d Japanes e wer e 40 % correc t (Wellma n e t al. , 2001) . Nevertheless , withi n eac h countr y th e ag e profil e ha d a simila r shape , wit h poo r performanc e i n younge r childre n an d bette r performanc e i n olde r children . Th e researc h literatur e suggest s tha t ther e ar e measurabl e indi - vidua l difference s i n th e min d readin g abilitie s o f youn g childre n (Lewi s & Osborne , 1990 ; Slaughte r 6 Gopnik , 1996) , an d tha t thes e individua l differ - ence s ar e correlate d wit h variable s lik e famil y vari - ables , othe r cognitiv e construct s lik e languag e an d variou s socia l outcom e measure s (Hughes , 1998 ; Jenkin s & Astington , 2000 ; Ruffman , Perner , & Par - kin , 1999 ; Slaughte r & Repacholi , 2003 ; Yagmurlu , Kazak-Berument , & Çelimli , 2005) . Withou t doubt , ther e i s a relatio n betwee n lan - guag e an d fals e belie f understanding . Ther e ar e thre e possibilitie s abou t thi s relation : theor y o f min d depend s o n language ; o r languag e depend s o n theor y o f mind ; o r bot h depen d o n a thir d fac - to r (Astingto n & Jenkins , 1999) . Grant i (2004 ) suggeste d tha t Turkis h speakin g childre n star t t o establis h som e tmderstandin g abou t othe r mind s startin g aroun d 3 year s o f age . Children' s perfor - manc e reveale d highes t leve l o f understandin g fo r th e ver b sanmak "thin k wit h implicatio n o f fals e belief " a s compare d t o othe r menta l verbs , bu t understandin g o f menta l verb s di d no t preced e fals e belie f understanding . Aksu-Koç , Aydin , Avci , Sefe r an d Ya f a (2005) , suggeste d tha t a sig-^nifican t interactio n effec t betwee n ag e an d typ e o f tas k showin g tha t 4 year-old s score d highe r tha n 3 year - old s o n fals e belie f task s bu t no ag e effec t foun d o n appearance-realit y tasks . Shatz , Diesendnick , Martinez-Bec k an d Akar , (2003) , investigate d whethe r difference s i n th e lexica l explicitnes s wit h whic h language s expres s fals e belie f infiuenc e chil - dren' s performanc e o n standar d fals e belie f tasks . Bayramogl u an d Hohenberge r (2007 ) investigate d th e theor y o f min d developmen t o f 4 an d 5 yea r ol d Turkis h preschoolers . Th e result s indicate d tha t a mai n effec t o f ag e wa s found . Researcher s sugges t tha t 4 yea r ol d childre n ca n predic t th e action s o f someon e wit h a fals e behe f an d ther e ar e measur - abl e individua l difference s i n th e min d readin g abilitie s o f youn g childre n (Wellma n e t al. , 2001) . Therefore , i t i s importan t t o conduc t studie s i n language s othe r tha n English . I t woul d certainl y ad d weigh t t o findings abou t min d readin g abili - tie s o f youn g childre n i f the y ar e replicated . Als o i t i s importan t t o determin e th e relationshi p betwee n fals e belie f understandin g an d othe r area s lik e lan - guage , cognitiv e construct s an d socia l outcomes.I n Turke y ther e ar e severa l studie s investigate d theor y o f min d performance s o f childre n betwee n 3 t o 5 year s ol d (Aksu-Ko ç e t al. , 2005 ; Granti , 2004) . I n thes e studie s standar d fals e belie f task s wer e ad - ministered . Als o i n thi s stud y standar d fals e belie f task s (appearance-realit y an d unexpecte d conten t an d thre e version s o f chang e i n location ) wer e ad - ministered . Th e ai m o f th e presen t stud y wa s t o examin e th e rol e o f ag e i n th e fals e belie f understandin g i n TXirkis h speakin g childre n an d t o determin e i f th e differen t typ e o f fals e belie f task s affect s perform - anc e o n fals e belie f 1182 2 KEÇEL I KAYSILI . ACARLA R / Th e Developmen t o f Theor y o f Min d Accordin g t o Fals e Belie f Performanc e o f Children. . Metho d Mode l Whil e conductin g th e research , whic h wa s aime d t o determin e th e rol e o f ag e i n th e fals e belie f un - derstandin g i n Turkis h speakin g childre n an d t o determin e i f th e differen t typ e o f fals e belie f task s affect s performanc e o n fals e belief , th e surve y researc h desig n wa s use d (Büyüköztürk , Kiliç - Çakmak , Akgün , Karadeniz , 8 c Demirel , 2008) . Participant s Participant s wer e selecte d fro m five preschool s children . Becaus e o f materna l educatio n leve l wa s associate d wit h a numbe r o f aspect s o f theor y o f min d (Pear s 8 c Moses , 2003) , childre n whos e par - ents ' educatio n leve l wa s a t leas t hig h schoo l wa s selected . Sevent y tw o typicall y developin g childre n betwee n th e age s o f 3.0 0 t o 5.1 1 yea r ol d wer e in - clude d i n th e sample . Th e sampl e consiste d o f 1 2 childre n i n eac h ag e grou p an d ag e group s wer e divide d int o si x mont h period . Instrument s Fiv e fals e belie f task s wer e conducted . Appearance-realit y tas k modele d o n th e wor k o f Flavell , Flavel l an d Green , (1983) , examine d chil - dren' s abilit y t o distinguis h betwee n wha t a n objec t appear s t o b e an d wha t reall y is . I n orde r t o prob e th e child' s tmderstandin g o f he r ow n an d others ' thoughts , question s regardin g th e child' s initia l mistake n belie f abou t th e objec t an d wha t another' s belie f abou t th e objec t wer e als o include d i n thi s task . Sugar s tha t loo k lik e pebble s wer e use d a s de - ceptiv e object . Bu t 1 6 childre n wer e familia r wit h th e deceptiv e objec t s o thi s tas k wa s omitte d fro m th e analyses . Une3q)ecte d conten t tas k modele d o n th e wor k o f Hogrefe , Wimme r an d Perner , (1986) . Experi - mente r aske d childre n wha t the y believ e t o b e th e content s o f a bo x tha t look s a s thoug h i t hold s a cand y calle d "Bonibon" . Afte r th e children' s answer , eac h wa s show n tha t th e bo x i n fac t containe d pen - cils . Afte r thes e unexpecte d content s wer e replaced i n th e box , th e childre n wer e aske d wha t the y ha d though t wa s insid e i t befor e i t wa s opene d an d wha t thei r frien d woul d thin k wa s insid e i t befor e i t wa s opened . Afte r thes e fals e belie f question s justifica - tio n o f th e predictio n questio n (why? ) wer e als o aske d an d score d separately . Lewi s an d Osborn e (1990 ) foun d tha t tes t question s tha t ar e tempo - rall y specifi c an d syntacticall y straightforwar d enabl e mos t 3 yea r old s t o attribut e fals e belief s o f others . Therefor e question s wer e pose d wit h tem - pora l marker s an d wit h specifi c fals e belie f ver b for m "san " (Wha t wil l X thin k (san ) i s insid e th e bo x befor e I opene d it?) . A scor e o f 0 t o 3 wa s give n fo r th e unexpecte d conten t task . Thre e "chang e i n location " fals e belie f task s (Baron - Cohen , Leslie , 8 c Frith , 1985 ; Wimme r 8 c Perner , 1983 ) wer e conducted . I n th e first on e th e tas k acte d ou t wit h dolls , an d i n th e secon d on e chil d an d experimente r acte d th e scen e togethe r an d i n th e las t on e illustrate d shor t stor y wer e used . I n al l th e fals e belie f task s contro l question s wer e asked . Afte r thes e contro l question s "Loo k for " fals e be - lie f question s als o pose d wit h tempora l marker s (Wher e doe s Ayf e goin g t o loo k fo r th e bal l first whe n sh e rettims?) . Furthermor e afte r fals e belie f question s justificatio n o f th e predictio n questio n (why? ) wer e als o aske d an d score d i n eac h task . A scor e o f 0 t o 6 wa s give n fo r th e chang e i n locatio n fals e belie f tasks . A scor e o f 0 t o 9 wa s give n fo r th e tota l theor y o f min d score . Procedure s Al l o f th e childre n cooperate d wit h th e first re - searcher . Dat a collectio n procedur e wa s carrie d ou t individually i n a quie t roo m i n thei r preschools . Th e task s wer e counterbalance d agains t th e orde r effect . I t take s abou t 2 0 minute s t o conduc t al l th e fals e belie f tasks . Dat a Analysi s Th e Kruskal-Walli s Analysi s o f Varianc e wa s use d t o tes t difference s amon g ag e group s i n eac h o f th e tasks . Th e Man n Whitne y U-test s wa s use d t o tes t fo r difference s betwee n th e ag e group s o n th e fals e belie f tas k performances . Result s Th e percentile s o f tota l theor y o f min d score s showe d tha t th e 25 * percentil e mostl y involve d 3. 0 t o 4. 5 yea r ol d childre n whil e 50 * percentil e in - volve d 4 yea r ol d an d olde r childre n (betwee n 4. 0 t o 5.1 1 yea r old ) an d finally 75 * percentil e mostl y involve d 4. 6 t o 5.1 1 yea r ol d children . I n th e ow n belie f tas k (unexpecte d conten t fals e be - lie f task ) th e analysi s indicate d tha t n o significan t 1823 1