What’s the Story behind ‘Theory of Mind’ and Autism?

Matthew K Belmonte

Journal of Consciousness Studies 16(6-8):118-139 (June-August 2009)

This material has been published in the Journal of Consciousness Studies, volume 16, issue 6-8, June-August 2009, pages 118-139, the only definitive repository of the content that has been certified and accepted after peer review. Copyright and all rights therein are retained by Imprint Academic. This material may not be copied or reposted without explicit permission. Copyright © 2009 by Imprint Academic.

ABSTRACT

Complex, mature cognition is the endpoint of a developmental process in which elementary capacities interact with the environment and with each other in predictable ways that depend on appropriate inputs. “Theory of mind,” the capacity to attribute thoughts and beliefs to other persons, is characterised by the Narrative Practice Hypothesis as emerging from the interactive experience of stories about people acting for reasons. The case of autism has been cited in support of the contrary view, that “theory of mind” is an innately specified cognitive module, because the surface characteristics of autistic behaviour seem explicable as a circumscribed failure of such a module. So if one accepts the Narrative Practice Hypothesis, is one then robbed of an explanation for autism? The answer is an emphatic no: “theory of mind” dysfunction is not universal in autism, and is developmentally preceded and predicted by abnormalities of attention, executive function and language consonant with the Narrative Practice Hypothesis.

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CITED IN PUBLICATIONS BY OTHERS:

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