Children's Theory of Mind and Attachment-Friend Linkages

University Of Illinois At Urbana-Champaign, Urbana IL

Investigators

Abstract

During the preschool years, most children begin to establish their first friendships. Yet, the quality of young children's friendships varies widely. Why are some children successful in establishing and maintaining positive friendships, whereas others have difficulties with friends? What do children learn in the context of their family relationships that may help them to get along with friends? This research addresses these questions as it examines children's "theory of mind" (i.e., the understanding that individuals have minds and that behavior is a predictable function of mental states, such as intentions, beliefs, desires, and emotions). Having a "theory of mind" is central to the successful navigation of social interactions and relationships. This research suggests that theory of mind may play a key role in understanding family-peer linkages. By construing others' behaviors in terms of mental states, children are better able to interpret other's actions and gauge their own behavior in ways that take the other person's perspective into account. Although some research has highlighted the familial antecedents, and other work has focused on peer outcomes associated with individual differences in children's theory-of-mind understanding, few studies have brought together these two lines of research. This research aims to (a) to assess the extent to which and mechanisms whereby child-mother attachment security at 34 months predicts theory-of-mind understanding from 3 to 5 years, (b) to examine young children's theory-of-mind understanding as a predictor of children's subsequent friendship competence, and (c) to test whether theory-of-mind understanding mediates associations between early child-mother attachment and later friendship outcomes. The research involves a follow-up investigation of 128 children and their families who participated in a short-term longitudinal study of children's social development between 34 and 40 months of age. The follow-up study will take place when the children are 54 and 62 months of age. At each time point, child-friend dyads will be observed during two play sessions in a laboratory playroom, and child interviews will be conducted to assess theory-of-mind understanding. Parents will complete questionnaires on children's social-emotional adjustment, including relationships with peers. To increase confidence in conclusions about mediated effects, several alternative models will be tested. Building on an existing dataset, this follow-up study will provide a longitudinal examination of theory-of-mind understanding across the critical preschool years from ages 3 to 5. Moreover, by illuminating the interpersonal processes through which young children come to understand the mind and in turn the extent to which such understanding fosters children's friendship competence, the current research aims to inform preventive interventions for children at risk for relationship disturbances.