Theory of Mind (ToM)
[Professor Name]
[Class and Section Number]
Learning Objectives
1. Explain what ToM is.
2. Enumerate the many domains of social life in which
ToM is critical.
3. Describe some characteristics of how autistic
individuals differ in their processing of others’
minds.
4. Describe and explain some of the many concepts
and processes that comprise the human
understanding of minds.
5. Have a basic understanding of how ordinary people
explain unintentional and intentional behavior.
Warm-Up
Heider and Simmel (1944) video clip
Describe what is happening in this movie.
Overview
• What Is Theory of Mind (ToM)?
• Why Do We Need ToM?
• How Is ToM Different in Individuals with
Autism?
• What Processes Comprise ToM?
• How Do People Explain Others’ Behavior?
What is ToM?
Understanding and
reasoning about other
people’s minds
What do you think she
is thinking or feeling?
Overview
• What Is Theory of Mind (ToM)?
• Why Do We Need ToM?
• How Is ToM Different in Individuals with
Autism?
• What Processes Comprise ToM?
• How Do People Explain Others’ Behavior?
Why do we need ToM?
It’s necessary to understand why people do
what they do
Overview
• What Is Theory of Mind (ToM)?
• Why Do We Need ToM?
• How Is ToM Different in Individuals with
Autism?
• What Processes Comprise ToM?
• How Do People Explain Others’ Behavior?
How is ToM different in
individuals with autism?
The Autism Spectrum
 Varied severity
 Varied symptoms
A Common Symptom:
 Deficits in ToM
Video and Discussion
My Life with Asperger's:
Clip
 Impact on Individuals’
Social Lives
 Temple Grandin
Overview
• What Is Theory of Mind (ToM)?
• Why Do We Need ToM?
• How Is ToM Different in Individuals with
Autism?
• What Processes Comprise ToM?
• How Do People Explain Others’ Behavior?
Hierarchy of ToM Processes
Recognizing Agents and Goals
Recognizing Agents
 Something that can act on
its own
 Examples?
 Cues to agency
Agents Have Goals
 Motivations for actions
Intentionality
Understanding the difference
between…


Intentional actions: skillful,
directed actions consistent
with goals (examples?)
Unintentional actions:
accidental or lucky actions
that may or may not be
consistent with goals
(examples?)
Imitation, Synchrony, & Empathy
Imitation
 Watch and model actions
 Can be automatic (mimicry)
or intentional
Synchrony
 When two people mutually
mimic one another
 Synchrony and liking
Automatic empathy
Joint Attention
When two people are simultaneously
focusing on the same thing
 Critical for word learning
Visual Perspective Taking
Taking on another
person’s point of view
 Requires mental rotation
Egocentrism
 Inability understand another
person’s perspective
(physical or mental)
 People often overestimate
how much they understand
what others are thinking
Mental State Inference
 Figuring out what another
person thinks or wants
 Requires setting aside one’s
own point of view
 Tested using false-belief task
 Not passed by children until
age 3 or 4
 More challenging versions of
tasks difficult for adult to pass
Curse of Knowledge: Theory of
Mind Test for Adults
 Pretend you are research
participants in the study by
Birch & Bloom (2007)…
how would you answer the
question?
 Results indicate that…
Overview
• What Is Theory of Mind (ToM)?
• Why Do We Need ToM?
• How Is ToM Different in Individuals with
Autism?
• What Processes Comprise ToM?
• How Do People Explain Others’ Behavior?
People’s Explanations of
Behavior
Need to ask why
 Why is the teenager
wearing that outfit?
 Why is he being so
nice?
 Why did the murderer
kill those people?
Activity: Theory of Mind in
Action
Directions:
 Observe Social Interactions
 Complete Observation Chart
Describe observed behavior
(without using mental terms)
Explain the underlying cause for this
behavior (using ToM terms)
CAT: The Muddiest Point
 What was the muddiest point about today’s
class?
 Write down what concept you are still
struggling to understand.
Photo Attribution
Slide 1
Photo Credit: brain power Allan Ajifo https://www.flickr.com/photos/125992663@N02/14601014695
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/
Slide 5
Photo Credit: Empathy ACLU of Southern California https://www.flickr.com/photos/aclu_socal/2604994533/
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/
Slide 7
Photo Credit: Takeout or Dine In 002 Penn State
https://www.flickr.com/photos/53130103@N05/4947508079/https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/
Slide 9
Photo Credit: meeting new friends 3 Animals Asia https://www.flickr.com/photos/121330095@N07/14872455260/
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/
Slide 10
Photo Credit: Bus Stop Sit-Stay Transguyjay https://www.flickr.com/photos/75619356@N00/3440712104/
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/
Slide 13
Photo Credit: DSC04449 tfxc https://www.flickr.com/photos/23964833@N08/13520376654/
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/
Slide 14
Photo Credit: Mountain Rock Face Climber tpsdave https://pixabay.com/en/mountain-rock-face-climber-90780/
https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/deed.en
Slide 15
Photo Credit: Mime in profile Brian Leon https://www.flickr.com/photos/ncbrian/3396608887/
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/
Slide 16
Photo Credit: Part of the international family yooperann
https://www.flickr.com/photos/99923398@N00/15370548727/https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/
Slide 17
Photo Credit: Throwing flowers at muses bricolage 108 https://www.flickr.com/photos/11922859@N00/164228715/
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/
Slide 19
Photo Credit: The solution is... Nikos Gazetas https://www.flickr.com/photos/46411095@N07/6820957628/
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/
Photo Attribution
Slide 21
Photo Credit: Candid 3 Disha Gadhiya https://www.flickr.com/photos/38529649@N00/2351896207/
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/
Slide 23
Photo Credit: Photo Credit: Illustrated silhouette of a black cat nehtaeh79
http://www.freestockphotos.biz/stockphoto/16624 http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/