A Level Psychology OCR Practice Exam

At what age do neurotypical children typically develop Theory of Mind (ToM)?

1. 2 years old

2. 3 years old

3. 4 years old

4. 5 years old

The correct answer is: 4 years old

Theory of Mind (ToM) is the cognitive ability to understand that others have beliefs, desires, and intentions that are different from one's own. Typically, neurotypical children begin to show signs of developing this understanding around the age of 4 years old. By this age, they can generally comprehend that someone might hold a belief that differs from reality, indicating a significant social-cognitive milestone. Research supports this developmental timeline, demonstrating that children around this age can pass classic ToM tasks, such as the false-belief task, which assesses their understanding of others' mental states. Such tasks involve scenarios where a child must predict what another person might think or feel based on their own beliefs about a situation. While earlier attempts to investigate mental states begin around 2 or 3 years old—such as recognizing emotions or understanding basic desires—it is around 4 years when children truly grasp the complexity of beliefs and intentions, marking the age where ToM is considered to be firmly developed in typical development patterns.