Theory of Mind Through the Ages: Older and Middle-Aged Adults Exhibit More Errors Than Do Younger Adults on a Continuous False Belief Task

• Published in: Experimental aging research Vol. 37; no. 5; pp. 481 - 502
• Main Authors: Bernstein, Daniel M., Thornton, Wendy Loken, Sommerville, Jessica A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Philadelphia, PA Taylor & Francis Group 01.10.2011; Taylor & Francis; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Adult. Elderly; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Aging - psychology; Belief & doubt; Biological and medical sciences; Cognition; Cognition & reasoning; Culture; Developmental psychology; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Interpersonal Relations; Male; Memory; Middle age; Middle Aged; Models, Psychological; Older people; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Social Behavior; Young Adult; Human; Senescence; Middle age; Young adult; Adult; Theory of mind; Experimental study; Elderly; Age; Social cognition
• ISSN: 0361-073X; 1096-4657
• DOI: 10.1080/0361073X.2011.619466

Theory of mind (ToM), or the ability to understand mental states, is a fundamental aspect of social cognition. Previous research has documented marked advances in ToM in preschoolers, and declines in ToM in older-aged adults. In the present study, younger (n = 37), middle-aged (n = 20), and older (n = 37) adults completed a continuous false belief task measuring ToM. Middle-aged and older adults exhibited more false belief bias than did younger adults, irrespective of language ability, executive function, processing speed, and memory. The authors conclude that ToM declines from younger to older adulthood, independent of age-related changes to domain-general cognitive functioning.