gpt.icon The False Belief Task is a psychological task designed to measure the ability to understand the state of mind of others, specifically the theory that "others may have different beliefs than you. It is often used to assess the development of "[[Theory of Mind]]" (Theory of Mind).

Typical examples of issues

  • Sally and Ann assignment/Sally-Ann assignment:.

    • Sally places the ball in the basket and leaves the room. Meanwhile, Anne moves the ball to another box. Sally then returns. At this point, ask the child, “Where do you think Sally will look for the ball?” I ask.
    • Correct answer: Sally looks for the ball in the “basket” (because Sally doesn’t know what Ann is doing).
    • Wrong answer: Sally looks for the ball in the “box” (the child is projecting his knowledge onto Sally).
  • Smarty Assignment:.

    • After finding out that the chocolate jar contains a pencil, I ask, “What do other people think is in this box?” I ask.

Developmental Perspectives

  • Children around 3 years old: they think others have the same knowledge as them and cannot understand mistaken belief.
  • Children after age 4: Begin to understand that others’ beliefs may differ from their own knowledge.

application

This task is considered an important indicator of the development of the ability to understand the different perspectives and mental workings of others.


Metacognition Perceptions of Others’ Perceptions

Understand that others may have false beliefs (mistaken beliefs) that are different from your own.


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