What is Theory of Mind?

Life is an ocean of interspersed events, obstacles, opportunities, and ups and downs through which we constantly sail, as in the labyrinth of life. People spend most of their time thinking and feeling, and absorbing themselves in thoughts and values about their existence. Sometimes it is so shocking to realise that other humans go through similar processes daily.

The ability to observe, infer, understand, and attribute mental and cognitive states to other human beings forms the very foundation of social interactions. This ability helps us know that, like us, other human beings are also capable of beliefs, intentions, desires, and perspectives that will differ from our own and is commonly known as the “Theory of Mind” (Ruhl, 2023).

Understanding the Theory of Mind

The Theory of Mind was proposed by researchers David Premack and Guy Woodruff in the 1970s (Wellman, 2018). The foundations of this theory began with research into animals rather than humans when the question posed by the proper of the theory was “Do chimpanzees have a Theory of Mind ?” (Premack & Woodruff, 1978). This was followed by a large body of research, which eventually aims to focus on developmental pathways and the neural basis of the theory.

Essentially, Theory of Mind refers to a human ability to recognise and understand that other individuals have mental states which will differ from one’s own, while also being able to infer and interpret these internal states to predict and explain their behaviour. This branch of cognitive research is engaged in understanding the skills that are shared by almost all human beings after early childhood, which allow them to not only understand what the internal processes of another individual are, but also to use these and explain the other’s behaviour (Theory of Mind | Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, n.d.).

Those who show greater skills in understanding these unobservable psychological states may often be called ‘mind readers’ or ‘mentalists’, but in reality, they just have a strong grasp of the Theory of Mind. It is also important to understand that the Theory of Mind is not the same as empathy. While empathy focuses on sharing another emotional experience, the Theory of Mind focuses only on a logical understanding of an individual’s internal psychological processes without having to share them.

Philosophical Frameworks of the Theory of Mind

It is referred to as a Theory of Mind because individuals have to make predictions about the beliefs and other cognitive states of another individual; there is no exact way of knowing what another might be thinking. Hence, it is based on a theory rather than hard facts. The Theory of Mind also subscribes to 2 different frameworks to explain disability, one which is based on folk psychological, conceptual schemes, and the second, which is based on mental modelling (Byom & Mutlu, 2013).

1. Theory-theory

This branch of philosophy, which offers explanations for the Theory of Mind, suggests that this ability is based on folk psychology and an intuitive understanding of another individual. This mental ability develops automatically and is an innate function of development as a result of the concepts and rules that are integrated through social interactions (Theory of Mind | Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, n.d.).

2. Mental Simulation Theory

The other branch of philosophy, which offers explanations for the Theory of Mind, suggests that individuals can understand and predict the mental states of others by simulating their own mental states in a similar situation. It essentially suggests that the only way an individual can inform another’s mental processes is by imagining themselves in the person’s position. According to this facet, the resources that are used for one’s own psychological processes are recycled to help provide an understanding of the psychological states of another (Theory of Mind | Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, n.d.).

Developmental Pathways of the Theory of Mind

Despite the different branches, which aimed to explain the emergence of the Theory of Mind, ranging from an innate ability to the recycling of one’s own resources to explain others’ psychological states, it cannot be argued that the emergence of a Theory of Mind is a developmental process. Infants and toddlers are unable to have a strong grasp of the Theory of Mind and can often tend to be more egotistical due to their lack of understanding of others ‘ mental states (Cherry, 2025).

Several factors, such as social interactions, play, and more, allow the Theory of Mind to develop amongst children between the ages of three and five (Cherry, 2025). Literature also suggests that there are a few skills that must be first developed and act as prerequisites for the development of the Theory of Mind, including:

Attention
Intentions
The ability to imitate others
Cause and effect

The development of the Theory of Mind improves with age and can be tracked through different stages, which usually occur in a sequential standard order. Wellman et al. (2011) suggested the following tasks that a child can tackle as they develop a Theory of Mind:

Desires: All individuals have different wants and varying reasons for the same. They may even have different strategies to fulfil these desires and act accordingly.
Thinking: All individuals will hold different beliefs, even if it is about the same thing. An individual’s reaction to a specific situation depends upon their understanding of the situation and may differ greatly from someone else’s.
Truth: All individuals have access to different facets of knowledge and hence do not share the same ultimate truth. For many individuals, if they haven’t seen something, they will not know or understand it and will require extra information to be able to comprehend it.
False Beliefs: All individuals have different realities and may subscribe to beliefs that one may deem false.
Hidden Feelings: Not all individuals express their emotions and beliefs freely. They may even harbour hidden feelings or beliefs which they do not display.

Psychologists have developed multiple ways to test the development of the Theory of Mind in children, which commonly include the False Belief Task and Sally-Anne Task (Ruhl, 2023).

Theory of Mind in Neurodivergent Populations

Since the Theory of Mind is so vital for human communication and forms the foundation of all interactions, deficits in the Theory of Mind may lead to deficits in communication. It has been proposed that such deficits may exist in individuals who are neurodivergent or have neurodevelopmental disorders (Korkmaz, 2011).

Baron‐Cohen (1989) suggested that deficits in the Theory of Mind are indicators of Autism and even Down Syndrome.
Research also suggests that individuals with schizophrenia demonstrate serious deficits in the Theory of Mind, with an inability to understand false beliefs as well as understand the intentions of others (Sprong et al., 2007).
As the Theory of Mind is closely related to the prefrontal cortex, lesions in this area of the brain are also associated with deficits in the Theory of Mind (Shahaeian et al., 2011).

Conclusion

The Theory of Mind gives an individual the ability to understand another’s mental processes and use this inferred information to predict their behaviour in a variety of situations. It allows social interactions to take place with empathy, perspective-taking and more. The Theory of Mind and its research pertains to cognitive abilities, which form the very basis of human interactions and provide great insight into the workings of the human mind. Based in the prefrontal cortex, different philosophical facets describe the Theory of Mind as either theory theory or mental simulation.

Despite the multiple foundational theories, which aim to explain the Theory of Mind, literature has been able to conclude that it develops with the development of a child and goes through multiple stages, ranging from the understanding of desires to the presence of hidden feelings. The Theory of Mind holds immense significance not only in everyday life, but in research, education, neuroscience and even intelligence. Its development and variations due to neurodevelopmental disorders have allowed humans to understand how we perceive others’ minds and gain insight into human connection.

FAQs

1. Is the Theory of Mind accepted widely?

The Theory of Mind revolutionised the understanding of social interactions and the perception of another’s internal mental states. It has also been criticised in academic spaces. Researchers suggest that the Theory of Mind is unable to explain complex social interactions and have even expressed discontentment with its experimental designs. Criticism of the theory also suggests that it has oversimplified the deficits in social interaction faced by individuals with Down syndrome and autism.

2. Does the Theory of Mind develop for everyone at the same time?

Research suggests that the development of the Theory of Mind begins at the age of two. Children ranging from the ages of 4 to 5 can perform multiple tasks dictated by the stages of development of the Theory of Mind. However, this does not mean that the Theory of Mind will develop at the same time for all individuals. Especially for children with neurodevelopmental disorders, the development of the Theory of Mind may be thwarted or stunted.

3. What is the current research in the Theory of Mind?

The current research in the Theory of Mind focuses on mental stimulation theory and aims to explain the criticisms that have been pointed out earlier. It also aims to understand the neural foundations of the Theory of Mind in greater detail. Efforts have also been made to integrate the Theory of Mind with artificial intelligence.

What is Theory of Mind ?