Signature limits in mindreading systems

Cogn Sci. 2014 Sep-Oct;38(7):1432-55. doi: 10.1111/cogs.12117. Epub 2014 Mar 20.

Abstract

Recent evidence that young children seem to both understand false belief in one sense, but not in another, has led to two-systems theorizing about mindreading. By analyzing the most detailed two-systems approach in studying social cognition-the theory of mindreading defended by Ian Apperly and Stephen Butterfill-I argue that that even when dutifully constructed, two-systems approaches in social cognition struggle to adequately define the mindreading systems in terms of signature processing limits, an issue that becomes most apparent when investigating mindreading in infancy. I end the article by developing several challenges that face any two-systems account of mindreading.

Keywords: Development; False belief; Theory of mind; Two-systems theories.

MeSH terms

  • Child
  • Child Development*
  • Child, Preschool
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Psychological Theory
  • Social Perception*
  • Theory of Mind*