INVESTIGATING RELATION BETWEEN THEORY OF MIND -DESIRE, BELIEF, KNOWLEDGE, EMOTION AND FALSE BELIEF UNDERSTANDING- AND LANGUAGE

Abstract

Although the relationship between language and theory of mind has been examined by many studies, false belief task has often been used as a measure of theory of mind. The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between language and different mental states that theory of mind includes. This study was conducted on 70 children aged 36-65 months at Time 1 and 42-71 months at Time 2. Turkish Expressive and Receptive Language Test was used to measure the receptive and expressive aspects of language, and Theory of Mind Scale was used to measure the desire, belief, knowledge, false belief and hidden emotion aspects of the theory of mind. As a result of this study, a relationship was found between receptive/expressive language and theory of mind. When age and Time 1 theory of mind were controlled, it was found that Time 1 language predicted Time 2 theory of mind. However, when age and Time 1 language were controlled, it was found that Time 1 theory of mind did not predict Time 2 language. Thus, it was concluded that theory of mind understanding depends on early language skills in typically develoing Turkish children, but early theory of mind did not significantly predict later language skills. When the relationship between language and theory of mind was examined by task type, it was found that previous language has a significant effect on understanding the later knowledge and false belief. Findings were discussed in terms of language-mind relationship.

Keywords

• theory of mind
• language
• false belief
• emotion
• knowledge
• desire

Zihin Kuramı- İstek, Kanı, Bilgi, Duygu ve Yanlış Kanı Anlayışı- İle Dil İlişkisinin İncelenmesi

Öz

Birçok çalışma tarafından dil ile zihin kuramı arasındaki ilişki incelenmiş olmasına rağmen zihin kuramı genellikle yanlış kanı atfı görevi ile değerlendirilmiştir. Bu araştırmanın amacı yanlış kanının yanında zihin kuramının kapsadığı diğer farklı zihinsel durumların da dil ile ilişkisini incelemektir. Bu çalışma 1. ölçümde 36-65 ay, 2. ölçümde 42-71 ay arası olan 70 çocuk üzerinde yürütülmüştür. Alıcı ve ifade edici kelime bilgisinin ölçülmesinde Türkçe İfade Edici ve Alıcı Dil Testi, zihin kuramının istek, kanı, bilgi, yanlış kanı ve duygu yönlerinin ölçülmesinde Zihin Kuramı Ölçeği kullanılmıştır. Çalışmanın sonucunda hem alıcı hem ifade edici kelime bilgisi ile zihin kuramı arasında ilişki bulunmuştur. Bu ilişkinin yönüne bakıldığında yaş ve 1. zaman zihin kuramı kontrol edildiğinde 1. zaman kelime bilgisinin, 2. zaman zihin kuramını yordadığı bulunmuştur. Fakat yaş ve 1. zaman kelime bilgisi kontrol edildiğinde 1. zaman zihin kuramının 2. zaman kelime bilgisini yordamadığı görülmüştür. Böylece Türkçe konuşan ve tipik gelişim gösteren çocuklarda erken dil becerilerinin ileriki zihin kuramı anlayışını desteklediği fakat erken zihin kuramı anlayışının ileriki dil becerilerini anlamlı olarak desteklemediği sonucuna varılmıştır. Alıcı ve ifade edici dilin zihin kuramıyla olan ilişkisi görev bazında incelendiğinde ise önceki dilin, ileriki bilginin ve yanlış kanının anlaşılmasında anlamlı etkisi olduğu bulunmuştur. Bulgular dil-zihin ilişkisi açısından tartışılmıştır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• zihin kuramı
• dil
• yanlış kanı
• duygu
• bilgi
• istek

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