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What is the concept of theory of mind?
Theory of mind [ToM] is defined as the ability to understand and take into account another individual's mental state or of “mind-reading” [Premack and Woodruff, 1978].
What is an example of theory of mind?
To understand that people act in a way that is motivated by their desires [for example, I am hungry so I will reach for that apple] is to understand that other people have their own desires [she must be hungry], thus demonstrating a theory of mind, or attributing mental states to others.
At what age does theory of mind develop?
Between ages 4-5, children really start to think about others' thoughts and feelings, and this is when true theory of mind emerges.
What part of the brain is involved with empathy?
Importantly, these data suggest that not only is the prefrontal cortex involved in empathy, but the prefrontal cortex becomes active before some other regions of the brain, given that the prefrontal component emerged by 140 milliseconds whereas the parietal component emerged after 380 milliseconds [Fan & Han, 2008].