幼儿心理状态术语的运用与心理理论的发展

An Experimental Study Between the Using of Mental Terms and the Development of Theory of Mind

本研究目的在于探讨幼儿在假装游戏中心理状态术语的应用,以及与错误信念的理解是否存在相关并具有一定的发展特征。57名3-5岁的幼儿参加了实验。研究程序包括两类标准错误信念任务及假装游戏的拍摄、麦卡锡幼儿言语智力测验。结果发现:(1)幼儿的一般言语能力与错误信念的理解存在显著相关;(2)幼儿心理状态术语的使用存在情境差异,且随年龄的增长具有"指向愿望一指向信念"的维度特征;(3)在控制相关因素之后,幼儿错误信念的理解与心理状态术语的应用及其特定范畴(习惯用语)之间仍然存在显著相关;与"真正涉及心理状态"之间的相关不再显著。

This study was to explore the possible relations between pre-schoolers' false belief understanding and their general verbal ability, and the using of mental terms during pretense play. Fifty-seven 3-5-year-olds from two kindergartens were involved in this study. All subjects were videotaped for pretence play and measured by the MSCA-CR Verbal Test and standard false belief tasks. Using of mental terms was categorized as: genuine references to mental states, idioms, conversational use, expression of intention/ desire or other references. The results indicate that age has main effects on pre-schoolers' false belief understanding and general verbal ability. After the control of age, there is still a positive correlation between pre-schoolers' false belief understanding and general verbal ability. Pre-schoolers' using of mental terms is different from pretence context to non-pretence context, and has a developmental orientation from desire to belief. After the control of certain factors, pre-schoolers' false belief understanding is significantly related to their using of mental terms and the specific category of 'idioms' ; the correlation with the using of genuine references to mental states is no longer significant.