The basis for understanding belief

Author(s): Reddy, V.

Journal/Book: J Theor Soc Behav. 1995; 25: 108 Cowley Rd, Oxford, Oxon, England OX4 1JF. Blackwell Publ Ltd. 343.

Abstract: The aim of this paper was to investigate what it means to understand belief and to suggest how children may develop such an understanding. The position advanced challenges prominent explanations of the young child's conception of folk psychology that view development in terms of the creation of successive models of mind. The prominent explanations, developed in order to explain the performance of 3- and 4-year-olds in simple game-like tasks, have problems accounting for the communicative competence of young children. Furthermore, they are based upon a simplistic interpretation of folk psychology that is not only inadequate as a description of adult belief-desire psychology, but would also be extremely complex for the young child to acquire. The alternative interpretation of folk psychology discusses the concept of belief, not in terms of internal, causal, states of the mind, but in terms of a quality of behaviour. Specifically, the position is advanced that children come to conceive of belief as the commitment of agents to act in certain ways. This commitment to action is most clearly apparent to young children during communicative exchanges, and it is proposed that in this context they hone their understanding of belief. The discussion stresses the continuity of development during the early years in contrast to the discontinuity proposed by the prominent 'stage' models.

Note: Article PE Newton, Univ Portsmouth, Dept Psychol, King Charles St, Portsmouth PO1 2ER, Hants, England

Keyword(s): FALSE-BELIEF; CONCEPTUAL DEFICIT; MIND; REPRESENTATION; DECEPTION; KNOWLEDGE

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