Journal
COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT
Volume 56, Issue -, Pages -Publisher
ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC
DOI: 10.1016/j.cogdev.2020.100958
Keywords
Theory of mind; Metaphor; Pragmatics; Longitudinal design; Experimental pragmatics
Funding
- MIUR (Ministero dell'Istruzione, dell'Universita e della Ricerca), PRIN (Progetti di Ricerca di Rilevante Interesse Nazionale) 2015 project The Interpretative Brain: Understanding and Promoting Pragmatic Abilities across Lifespan and in Mental Illness [201577HA9M]
Ask authors/readers for more resources
We still know very little about the longitudinal relationships between Theory of Mind (ToM) and metaphor understanding in typically developing children. We examined this issue by using a short-term longitudinal design, and by distinguishing between metaphor accuracy (the ability to understand metaphors) and specificity of mental interpretation (the ability to interpret mentally mental, but not physical metaphors). We also distinguished between ToM and the ability to make inferences about physical states. 54 typically developing children (aged 8;6-9;4 years) were tested at baseline and 6 months later. Results showed that metaphor accuracy and inferential skills about physical states were bi-directionally related over time, whereas early specificity of mental interpretation predicted later ToM (and not vice versa). We conclude that: (a) metaphor comprehension and general inferential abilities develop side by side in a mutually supportive way; and (b) the tendency to mentally interpret mental metaphors is a driving factor in ToM development.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available