TOM
Theory of Mind
Class: I - Natural Selection
EPA Total Score: 36 /100
Avis, J., & Harris, P. L. (1991). Belief?Desire Reasoning among Baka Children: Evidence for a Universal Conception of Mind. Child Development, 62(3), 460-467.
Abstract: Children of the Baka, a group of pygmies living in the rain forests of southeast Cameroon, were tested for their conception of mind. Specifically, they were invited to move a desirable food from its container to a hiding place in the absence of the adult preparing the food and then predict the likely reactions of the adult on his return. A majority of older children (n= 17; mean age 5 years) correctly predicted that the adult would approach the original but now empty container, would feel happy rather than sad before lifting its cover, and sad rather than happy after discovering the disappearance of the food. A minority of younger children (n= 17; mean age 3 1/2 years) were also systematically correct for all 3 predictions. The results provide support for the claim that belief-desire reasoning is universally acquired in childhood.
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Supporting Evidence
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40/100
Submitted by niruban
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45/100
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No one has (yet) rated this source as containing any supporting Genetic evidence for this EPA.
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10/100
Submitted by niruban
Supporting Evidence is evidence that suggests that this trait is an Evolved Psychological Adaptation (EPA) - i.e., that it has been shaped by natural selection to solve a particular adaptive problem.
Challenging Evidence
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0/100
Submitted by niruban
No one has (yet) rated this source as containing any challenging Medical evidence for this EPA.
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0/100
Submitted by niruban
No one has (yet) rated this source as containing any challenging Genetic evidence for this EPA.
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0/100
Submitted by niruban
Challenging Evidence is evidence that suggests that this trait is not an EPA - e.g., that it is a product of cultural learning or genetic drift, or maybe it does not exist at all. However over each line of evidence for a description.