Children Talk About the Mind

by Karen Bartsch, Henry M. Wellman

Overview

What, exactly, do children understand about the mind? And when does that understanding first emerge? In this groundbreaking book, Karen Bartsch and Henry Wellman answer these questions and much more by taking a probing look at what children themselves have to tell us about their evolving conceptions of people and their mental lives. By examining more than 200,000 everyday conversations (sampled from ten children between the ages of two and five years), the authors advance a comprehensive "naive theory of mind" that incorporates both early desire and belief-desire theories to trace childhood development through its several stages. Throughout, the book offers a splendidly written account of extensive original findings and critical new insights that will be eagerly read by students and researchers in developmental psychology, cognitive psychology, philosophy, and psycholinguistics.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780195344837
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	01/26/1995
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Lexile:	1350L (what's this?)
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

University of Wyoming

University of Michigan

Table of Contents

1. Children, Mind, and Language: An Introduction2. Language and Mind: Methods3. Talk About Thoughts and Beliefs4. Talk About Desires5. Desires and Beliefs6. Explanations and Arguments7. Individual Differences8. Children's Developing Theory of Mind9. Alternatives and Controversies10. Ordinary Talk about Persons and Minds: Questions and ConclusionsReferencesIndex

Editorial Reviews

"This is an excellent—probably the most important—publication in the field this year." —John Flavell, Stanford University

"It is an important achievement that cannot help but influence research and theory in developmental psychology and educational practice for years to come. —Lois Bloom, Teachers College, Columbia University

From the Publisher