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McVey Neufeld SF, MacGowan TL, Schmidt LA. Siblings at home: Moderating influence of sibling presence and composition on the relation between problem behaviors and Theory of Mind in early childhood. J Exp Child Psychol 2024; 247:106028. [PMID: 39178561 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2024.106028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Revised: 05/11/2024] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 08/26/2024]
Abstract
Despite the prevalence of internalizing and externalizing difficulties in children, the impact of these problem behaviors on the development of important social cognitive skills, such as Theory of Mind (ToM), is not well-understood. Indeed, many studies that have explored relations between problem behaviors and ToM report inconsistent findings. A possible reason for these disparities may be a lack of accounting for social protective factors within the home, such as the presence and number of siblings. Here, we explored the moderating influence of sibling presence and number on the relation between problem behaviors (i.e., internalizing and externalizing) and ToM. A total of 184 children (88 boys; Mage = 64.6 months, SD = 10.39) completed six well-validated ToM tasks while mothers reported on their children's externalizing and internalizing behaviors. Children who had siblings living in the same home exhibited higher ToM than children without siblings. In addition, both sibling presence and number of siblings moderated the relation between children's externalizing behaviors and ToM, such that in children without siblings externalizing behaviors were negatively associated with ToM. In contrast, children with siblings had similar ToM regardless of externalizing behaviors. As well, children with relatively fewer siblings and higher externalizing behaviors displayed lower ToM than children with relatively more siblings and higher externalizing behaviors. We did not detect a moderating effect of sibling presence or number on the relation between internalizing behaviors and ToM. These findings provide support for siblings' protective utility within the context of children's social cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sadie F McVey Neufeld
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4L8, Canada.
| | - Taigan L MacGowan
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4L8, Canada
| | - Louis A Schmidt
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4L8, Canada
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Zhou Y, Deng X, Wang S, Shi L. Theory of Mind and physical bullying in preschool children: the role of peer rejection and gender differences. PSICOLOGIA-REFLEXAO E CRITICA 2024; 37:29. [PMID: 39073719 PMCID: PMC11286907 DOI: 10.1186/s41155-024-00313-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/30/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Preschool represents the budding and initial stage of bullying behavior, where perpetration of physical bullying predominates as the primary form of bullying. An in-depth understanding of the factors linked to preschool physical bullying behavior is crucial for enabling early prevention and intervention strategies. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between Theory of Mind and physical bullying behavior in 4-6 years old children in kindergarten and the mediating role of peer rejection and gender in this relationship. METHODS Data on perpetration of physical bullying and peer rejection were obtained from 310 preschool children (age range = 52-79 months, M = 66.85, SD = 7.04) by the peer nomination method, and their Theory of Mind was measured by the Theory of Mind Development Scale. RESULTS The results showed that Theory of Mind negatively predicted perpetration of physical bullying in preschool children and that Theory of Mind was related to perpetration of physical bullying in preschool children only through peer rejection. Boys were also found to have a stronger association between peer rejection and perpetration of physical bullying in preschool children than girls. CONCLUSION Peer rejection may play a mediating role between Theory of Mind and perpetration of physical bullying in preschool children. In addition, the relationship between peer rejection and perpetration of physical bullying appears to be stronger for boys than for girls. This contributes to our understanding of the relationship between Theory of Mind and perpetration of physical bullying in preschool children and has implications for how bullying prevention and intervention can be tailored to the gender of young children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanfang Zhou
- School of Teacher Education, Shaoxing University, Shaoxing, China
- School of Teacher Education, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
- Faculty of Teacher Education, Lishui University, No. 1 Xueyuan Avenue, Liandu District, Lishui City, Zhejiang Province, 323000, China
| | - Xiaojie Deng
- School of Teacher Education, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
- School of Foreign Languages, Wuhan Qingchuan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Sihui Wang
- School of Teacher Education, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
| | - Leishan Shi
- School of Teacher Education, Shaoxing University, Shaoxing, China.
- Faculty of Teacher Education, Lishui University, No. 1 Xueyuan Avenue, Liandu District, Lishui City, Zhejiang Province, 323000, China.
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Ünlüer E. Theory of mind skills and peer relationships in children's adjustment to preschool. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1373898. [PMID: 39114594 PMCID: PMC11304001 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1373898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 07/03/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024] Open
Abstract
School adjustment affects children's future lives in many ways. This study examined the relationship between ToM skills, peer relationships, and school adjustment. Specifically, this study determined whether preschool children's school adjustment could be significantly predicted by theory of mind (ToM) skills and peer relationships. A total of 164 children aged 4 (34.5%), and 5 (38%) years of preschool attendance participated in the study. According to the research, children's age, theory of mind, peer relations, and school adjustment are closely related. It was also found that the theory of mind significantly predicted school adjustment (school liking/avoidance) and that prosocial and aggressive behavior predicted school liking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esra Ünlüer
- Department of Preschool Education, Faculty of Education, Kocaeli University, Kocaeli, Türkiye
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Rix K, Monks CP, O'Toole S. Theory of Mind and Young Children's Behaviour: Aggressive, Victimised, Prosocial, and Solitary. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:ijerph20105892. [PMID: 37239617 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20105892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Revised: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Theory of mind (ToM) undergoes significant developments during childhood, particularly between the ages of four and seven years. A growing body of research has indicated that children's social understanding may be related to their social behaviour with peers, in line with Theory Theory which proposes that children's social cognition is influenced by and influences their peer interactions. The current study examined the relationship between ToM and behaviour among 193 children aged 4-7 years. Children carried out a battery of ToM tasks, and teaching staff reported on children's aggressive, prosocial, and solitary behaviour and victimisation experiences. Aggression was not directly related to ToM; prosocial behaviour was positively associated with ToM for girls but not boys. Solitary behaviour and victimisation were negatively related to ToM. When this was broken down by gender, there was only a significant association between solitary behaviour and ToM for boys. When controlling for the relationship between behaviours, the only significant predictor of ToM was solitary behaviour for boys. ToM was also a significant predictor of solitary behaviour for boys, demonstrating that there is a bidirectional relationship at play. The findings highlight the importance of looking across these four behaviour types and understanding the relationship between behaviour profiles and ToM for boys and girls separately.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie Rix
- School of Psychology & Counselling, Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences, The Open University, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, UK
| | - Claire P Monks
- Institute for Lifecourse Development, School of Human Sciences, University of Greenwich, London SE10 9LS, UK
| | - Sarah O'Toole
- Department of Civil, Environmental & Geomatic Engineering, Faculty of Engineering Science, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
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Khalili N, Bosacki S, Talwar V. The moderating role of spirituality and gender in Canadian and Iranian emerging adolescents’ theory of mind and prosocial behavior. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1134826. [PMID: 37051609 PMCID: PMC10083353 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1134826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
IntroductionWhile research has found a link between ToM and prosociality in terms of caring and helping others which may also vary across cultures, the moderating role of spirituality and culture of this association in emerging adolescence has received little attention.MethodsThe current study empirically “examined” the role of spirituality and gender in relation to ToM and prosocial behavior in Canadian and Iranian emerging adolescents. A total of 300 (153 girls) emerging adolescents (M = 11.502, SD = 2.228) were recruited from Montreal, Canada and Karaj, Iran. A series of double moderation analysis and ANOVA was conducted.Results and discussionResults indicated the difference between direct and indirect influences of ToM and its interactions with culture, gender, and spirituality on prosocial behavior. This implies an emerging complex framework which suggests the dynamic nonlinear interactions between these factors. Implications for youth’s social-emotional understanding will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadia Khalili
- Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- *Correspondence: Nadia Khalili,
| | - Sandra Bosacki
- Department of Educational Studies, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, Canada
| | - Victoria Talwar
- Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
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Salhi IS, Lancelot C, Marzouki Y, Souissi W, Besbes AN, Le Gall D, Bellaj T. Assessing the construct validity of a theory of mind battery adapted to Tunisian school-aged children. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:974174. [PMID: 36970273 PMCID: PMC10035413 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.974174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Theory of mind (ToM) refers to the ability to understand others' states of mind, desires, emotions, beliefs, and intentions to predict the content of their mental representations. Two major dimensions within ToM have been studied. The first is the type of inferred mental state, which can be cognitive or affective. The second comprises the types of processes involved according to their degree of complexity (first- and second-order false belief and advanced ToM). ToM acquisition is fundamental-a key component in the development of everyday human social interactions. ToM deficits have been reported in various neurodevelopmental disorders through various tools assessing disparate facets of social cognition. Nevertheless, Tunisian practitioners and researchers lack a linguistically and culturally appropriate psychometric tool for ToM assessment among school-aged children. Objective To assess the construct validity of a translated and adapted French ToM Battery for Arabic-speaking Tunisian school-aged children. Methods The focal ToM Battery was designed with neuropsychological and neurodevelopmental theory and composed of 10 subtests distributed evenly in three parts: Pre-conceptual, cognitive, and affective ToM. Translated and adapted to the Tunisian sociocultural context, this ToM battery was individually administered to 179 neurotypical Tunisian children (90 girls and 89 boys) aged 7-12 years. Results After controlling for the age effect, construct validity was empirically confirmed on two dimensions (cognitive and affective) via structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis, demonstrating that this solution has a good fit. The results confirmed that the age affected differentially the performance obtained on ToM tasks based on the two components of the battery. Conclusion Our findings confirm that the Tunisian version of the ToM Battery has robust construct validity for the assessment of cognitive and affective ToM in Tunisian school-aged children; hence, it could be adopted in clinical and research settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Imène Soumaya Salhi
- Tunis University, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities at Tunis, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Céline Lancelot
- Laboratoire de Psychologie des Pays de la Loire (LPPL), Université d’Angers, Angers, France
| | - Yousri Marzouki
- Psychology Program, Department of Social Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Wided Souissi
- Tunis University, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities at Tunis, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Aya Nejiba Besbes
- Tunis University, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities at Tunis, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Didier Le Gall
- Laboratoire de Psychologie des Pays de la Loire (LPPL), Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) d’Angers, Université d’Angers, Angers, France
| | - Tarek Bellaj
- Psychology Program, Department of Social Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
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Wang Y, Shang S, Xie W, Hong S, Liu Z, Su Y. The relation between aggression and theory of mind in children: A meta-analysis. Dev Sci 2023; 26:e13310. [PMID: 36039023 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Revised: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Previous findings on the association between theory of mind (ToM) and aggression in children are mixed. The social skills deficit view regarded ToM as a single-edged sword and proposed that a lack of ToM can lead to aggression, while the double-edged sword view proposed that children with advanced ToM can still show much aggression because children can also leverage ToM to harm others. To resolve the dispute between the two views, we conducted a meta-analysis combining cross-sectional and longitudinal findings from 53 studies including a total of 11,579 children aged between 2 and 15 years. The overall negative correlation between ToM and aggression was small but significant (r = -0.08). The negative correlation was robust, with the magnitude of the correlation being similar across physical versus relational aggression, proactive versus reactive aggression, cognitive versus affective ToM, preschoolers versus school-aged children, different aggression measurements, and different levels of societal individualism. Moreover, the negative correlation was found regardless of whether ToM and aggression were measured concurrently or at different time points, but the correlation was the largest when ToM was measured before aggression. Whether the aggression was bullying or not also moderated the association, with ToM only being negatively related to non-bullying aggression but not bullying. Together, these findings suggest that ToM is a single-edged sword to decrease general aggression and that aggression might also give rise to lower ToM capacity during development. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: This study systemically reviewed the existing mixed findings on the association between aggression and ToM during childhood using a meta-analysis. There was a negative correlation between ToM and aggression in children aged between 2 and 15 years. The negative correlation between aggression and ToM was stronger when ToM was measured first, followed by aggression, than vice versa. There was a negative correlation between non-bullying aggression and ToM, whereas there was no correlation between bullying and ToM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiyi Wang
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China.,Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Siyuan Shang
- Department of Psychology, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Wanze Xie
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China.,PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Skylar Hong
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China.,Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Zexi Liu
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Yanjie Su
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China.,Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing, China
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Gazelle H, Lundin JKS, Bosacki SL. Theory of mind, gender, gains in friendships versus peer acceptance and anxious solitude from middle childhood through early adolescence. SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/sode.12654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Jessie K. Shafer Lundin
- Department of Psychology Northern Arizona University ‐ Yuma Branch 2020 S. Avenue 8E, AC 274 Yuma AZ USA
| | - Sandra L. Bosacki
- Faculty of Education Brock University 500 Glenridge Ave. St. Catherines Ontario Canada
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Poole KL, Degnan KA, Harrewijn A, Almas A, Fox NA, Henderson HA. Trajectories of socially anxious behavior from age 5 to 13: Temperamental and sociocognitive pathways. Child Dev 2022; 93:1334-1346. [PMID: 35404475 PMCID: PMC9427668 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.13767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Revised: 02/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
The authors examined temperamental and sociocognitive predictors of socially anxious behavior from preschool to early adolescence. Children (N = 227; 59% male; 69% White) completed a speech task at ages 5, 7, 10, and 13 and socially anxious behaviors were coded. Behavioral inhibition (BI) was assessed at ages 2/3 and Theory of Mind (ToM) was assessed at age 4. Data collection occurred between 2003 and 2016. Three trajectories of socially anxious behavior were identified: high stable, average increasing, and low stable. Higher BI was related to the high stable trajectory, whereas lower ToM was related to the increasing trajectory of socially anxious behavior. There are heterogenous pathways of socially anxious behavior, which may be uniquely influenced by early temperamental and sociocognitive factors.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kathryn A Degnan
- Catholic University of America, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | | | - Alisa Almas
- University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Nathan A Fox
- University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
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