Social Development Across the Lifespan

Question 1

Explain the two theories which attempt to explain why children fail traditional tasks and why high level ToM is delayed

Answer 1

1. Tasks which involve the infant in a communicative exchange allow the infant to use an implicit mind reading system. Only reasoning about others mentals states may require inhibition.
2. A new developmental building block explains the disconnection between ToM at 2yrs where pass in communicative context and at 3yrs where fail.
   Southgate (2019) - Develop self-awareness at 2yrs when we need inhibition skills to pass ToM bc only then own mental perspective salient

Question 2

Present evidence which suggests that infants are alter-centric

Answer 2

• Infants can tune into others perspectives e.g. Moll & Tomasello (2004) - 12m olds go behind barriers to see what adults look at
• Piazza et al. (2019) During face-to-face sessions, infants brains synchronised with the adults in areas known to be involved in high-level understanding of the world. Hardwired to connect with others.

Question 3

What can mirror neurons suggest?

Answer 3

• Controverisal but thought to provide input to a separate ToM system located in the medial prefrontal cortex and tpj
• Part of system used to predict and explain others actions.
• Brunsdon, Bradord &. Ferguson (2019) -