Posted on 08/06/2007 11:49:13 AM PDT by blam
Source: Association for Psychological Science
Date: August 3, 2007
Infants Have 'Mind-reading' Capability, Study Shows
Science Daily — One of the unique characteristics of humans that distinguish us from the animal kingdom is the ability to represent others' beliefs in our own minds. This sort of intuitive mind-reading, according to experts, lays the cognitive foundations of interpersonal understanding and communication.
Researchers have found that found that 13-month-old infants were able to exhibit the ability to attribute mental content. (Credit: iStockphoto/Oleg Kozlov)
Despite its importance, scientists have yet to reach a consensus on how this psychological function develops. Some argue that this complex and flexible ability is acquired at the age of 3-4 years and only after prerequisites such as language grammar are fulfilled. Others suggest specialized developmental mechanisms are in place at birth, allowing infants to refine this ability very early in life.
Luca Surian, a psychologist at the University of Trento in Italy, and his colleagues believe they have made some progress in the debate. In a study published in the July issue of Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, Surian found that 13-month-old infants were able to exhibit the ability to attribute mental content.
In two experiments, the researchers had the infants watch a series of animations in which a caterpillar went in search of food (either a red apple or a piece of cheese) that was hidden behind a screen. In some scenes, the caterpillar could see a human hand situating the food, but in others there was no hand to drop a hint. The caterpillar was either successful finding the preferred food behind the correct screen, or went behind an alternative screen with the other type of food behind it.
When the caterpillars didn't do what one would expect -- going to one screen despite seeing the human hand place the desired food behind the other -- infants tended to look at the animation longer, suggesting puzzlement about the caterpillar's actions. "This result," says Surian, "Suggests the infants expected searches to be effective only when the [caterpillar] had had access to the relevant information."
The findings indicate that the mental structures and the psychological reasoning skills allowing us predict other's behavior are in place at a very young age and their development does not entirely rely upon the environment or associative learning mechanisms. Surian proposes that "infants who expect agents' behavior to be guided by such internally available information thereby exhibit an ability to attribute mental content -- and this is mind reading proper, however rudimentary."
Note: This story has been adapted from a news release issued by Association for Psychological Science.
Then how come mine never understood that I simply wanted to know: WHAT? ARE YOU HUNGRY? THIRSTY? NEED YOUR DIAPER CHANGED? JUST TELL ME! I’LL DO IT! JUST STOP CRYING!
Mother’s have this ability............How else do you explain how they know what you’re doing at all times as a kid?.....
I think I’m going to find a newborn and take it to a poker tournament. I’ll be rich!
ping for later comment.
But children are not as powerful as HYPNO TOAD!!!!
“Mind Reading”
The weather was very hot, so this man wanted desperately take a dip in the nearby lake. He didn’t bring his swimming outfit, but since he was all alone, he didn’t care. He undressed and got into the water.
After some delightful minutes of cool swimming, a pair of old ladies walked onto the shore in his direction. He panicked, got out of the water and grabbed a bucket which laid on the sandy beach. He held the bucket in front of his private parts and sighed with relief.
The ladies got nearby and looked at him. He felt awkward and wanted to move. Then one of the ladies said, “You know, I have a special gift, I can read minds.”
“Impossible,” said the embarrassed man, “You really know what I think?”
“Yes,” the lady replied, “I know that you think that the bucket you’re holding has a bottom in it.”
"You say, 'We'll see...' but I can tell that you really mean, 'NO!'"
I swear our daughter can do this -
when she started talking, she would say words that I had just read on signs. So - she can either read, or read my mind...
kinda freaked my wife out when she started doing it with her.
It’s the little boys who can wish you “into the cornfield” for thinking bad thoughts that you really need to worry about.
Really? Then why are Dims so bad at predicting the future?
Ha! I'm convinced my dogs can read my mind.
Usually the first time you discover that you, too have this ability is right after you’ve screwed up and your mother gives you “that look!”
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