Acquiring a Conception of Mind

Peter Mitchell  School of Psychology, University of Birmingham , UK

'The book is an excellent, lucid guide to a densely argued area of empirical study which has emerged in the last ten years. It illustrates both the strengths and weaknesses of scientific psychology. The logic which motivates the experiments is well described and the sense of an unfolding detective story, as each experimental advance with its theoretical claims is unpicked by other workers and then incorporated into some yet more crucial empirical test, is psychology at its most fervent, rigorous and impressive. The book deserves to be read, not simply for its potential insight into children's developing mind, but also as a core text demonstrating how to write about and engage in the empirical pursuit of knowledge.' - Michael Burton, University of Sussex, UK'In this lively, thought-provoking and up-to-date book, Peter Mitchell offers a bracing re-evaluation of research on what has come to be called children's 'theory of mind' (i.e. interpersonal understanding), integrating important comparative data from studies on non-human primates and autistic children. Mitchell's special strength lies in his ability to dissect subtle theoretical issues into their component parts, in such a way that they are amenable to scientific investigation - and the experimental studies of Mitchell and his colleagues demonstrate arresting ingenuity and adroitness.' - Peter Hobson (The Tavistock Clinic) (Review of the manuscript)

• Understanding Minds. Children's Pretence. Children's Awareness of Mental Phenomena. Children's Deception. Children's Early Language and Communication. Further Developments in Language and Communication. Young Children's Difficulty with False Belief - A Conceptual Shift in the Development of Thinking? The Reality Masking Hypothesis - the Idea of a Smooth Developmental Progression. Psychopathology and the Development of a Conception of Mind. Communication and Thinking - Autism and Normal Development.