Theory of Mind

Theory of mind is the social-cognition capacity to recognize that other people are distinct minds with their own knowledge, desires, and interests. The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog defines it explicitly in its discussion of autism: “In order to function socially, people need to develop what is known as a ‘theory of mind.’ They need to know, in other words, that other people are distinct from them, have different knowledge about the world and have different desires and interests. In autism this distinction is blurred.”

Context: “Theory of mind” is a term from developmental and cognitive psychology for the ability to attribute mental states to oneself and others. Difficulties with theory of mind are commonly discussed in research on autism spectrum conditions.

Where this appears

• The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog — Bruce Perry defines theory of mind in the book’s discussion of autism, where the distinction between self and other is described as blurred.