Developmental Interest Group (DIG)

Contextual effects on theory of mind and executive functioning in preschool-aged children: New insights into developmental mechanisms

Children go through rapid changes in both executive functioning and theory of mind during the preschool years. In both cases, developmental changes are thought to be catalyzed, at least in part, by ongoing maturational changes in brain regions that provide the neural substrates for these skills. I will discuss recent experimental work challenging this straightforward neuromaturation view by showing that children’s performance on standard batteries of both theory of mind and executive functioning can be immediately improved by contextual factors present just prior to their performing the tasks. For instance, I will present evidence showing that both theory of mind and executive functioning performance is stronger for children who were randomly assigned to cuddle with a parent prior to performing the tasks compared with those who do not. I will also talk about other ways in which conceptual priming prior to standard executive functioning tasks can also affect performance across development. I will discuss the implications that these findings have for understanding the developmental bases of these skills, and their associated neurocognitive mechanisms.

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