Theory of mind and social behavior: Causal models tested in a longitudinalstudy

The aim of this study was to test two competing causal models concerning th e relationship between children's social behaviors and theory of mind. Chil dren between 3 and 4 years of age (n = 20) at the time of first testing wer e assessed three times over approximately 7 months. Theory of mind was asse ssed using false belief tasks. Children were videotaped during play with a friend, and measures of pretend play, joint planning, and explicit role ass ignment were made on the basis of transcripts. Theory of mind understanding was found to predict joint planning and role assignment, after taking into account initial performance on joint planning and role assignment, as well as contemporaneous language ability and age. There was no evidence that so cial behaviors predicted children's theory of mind.