In a review of findings on false beliefs in young children, a study suggests that infants use social-cognitive abilities associated with competing with others that are common among great apes, whereas older children use human social-cognitive abilities associated with coordinating mental states with cooperative partners to identify false beliefs; the study carries implications for determining precisely when young children come to understand false beliefs, according to the author.
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Article #18-04761: "How children come to understand false beliefs: A shared intentionality account," by Michael Tomasello.
MEDIA CONTACT: Michael Tomasello, Duke University, Durham, NC; tel: 919-660-8752; e-mail: michael.tomasello@duke.edu
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences