Modules and quasi-modules: Language and theory of mind in a polyglot savant

This report provides further evidence from the polyglot savant, Christopher , for the nature of Theory of Mind. In particular, we exploit a distinction between modules as classically defined (Fodor, 1983), and "quasi-modules." While the latter have the domain-specificity of modules, they are not info rmationally encapsulated and they exploit a nonperceptual vocabulary. We re port the results of Christopher's performance on a variety of false-belief tasks, showing that differences inherent in the various tasks allow for an explanation of his apparently inconsistent behavior, which in turn provides evidence for the "quasi-modularity" of his Theory of Mind.(1)