INDIVIDUAL-DIFFERENCES IN CHILDRENS DEVELOPING THEORY OF MIND AND IMPLICATIONS FOR METACOGNITION

For readers interested in metacognition broadly, this review article i ntroduces some of the recent research and theory concerning children's developing understanding of mental states, focusing particularly on a ttempts to understand individual differences in development. We conten d that the conceptual developments investigated by ''theory of mind'' researchers constitute a foundation for later metacognition. We examin e studies that have focused on individual differences in children's de veloping understanding of mental states, particularly those investigat ing its antecedents in early social interactions. Implications from th eory-of-mind research for an understanding of metacognition are articu lated.