Developmental psychologists coined the term "theory of mind" to describe how we understand our shifting mental states in daily life. Over the past twenty years researchers have provided rich, provocative data showing that from an early age, children develop a sophisticated and consistent "theory of mind" by attributing their desires, beliefs, and emotions to themselves and to others. Remarkably, infants barely a few months old are able to attend closely to other humans; two-year-olds can articulate the desires and feelings of others and comfort those in distress; and three- and four-year-olds can talk about thoughts abstractly and engage in lies and trickery.
This book provides a deeper examination of how "theory of mind" develops. Building on his pioneering research in The Child's Theory of Mind (1990), Henry M. Wellman reports on all that we have learned in the past twenty years with chapters on evolution and the brain bases of theory of mind, and updated explanations of theory theory and later theoretical developments, including how children conceive of extraordinary minds such as those belonging to superheroes or supernatural beings. Engaging and accessibly written, Wellman's work will appeal especially to scholars and students working in psychology, philosophy, cultural studies, and social cognition.

The emerging concept of other people is a critical phase in childhood develoment with deep implications for learning, language and the entire socialization process. But what, exactly, do children understand about the mind? And when does that understanding first occur? In this groundbreaking book, Karen Bartsch and Henry Wellman answer these questions and much more by looking at what children themselves have to tell us about their evolving conceptions of people and their mental lives. By examining thousands of everyday conversations the authors advance a comprehensive "naive theory of mind" that incorporates both early desire and belief-desire theories to trace childhood development through its several stages. Throughout, the book offers a splendidly written account of extensive original findings and critical new insights that will be eagerly read by students and researchers in developmental psychology, cognitive psychology, philosophy, and psycholinguistics.

The authors chart the early developmental stages in children's growing awareness and understanding of mind. More than 12,000 conversations by children between the ages of one and a half and six have been recorded, allowing a comprehensive picture of the first and crucial steps in development of a theory of mind.