Children’s belief- and desire-reasoning in the temporoparietal junction: evidence for specialization from functional near-infrared spectroscopy

Abstract

Behaviorally, children’s explicit theory of mind (ToM) proceeds in a progression of mental-state understandings: developmentally, children demonstrate accurate explicit desire-reasoning before accurate explicit belief-reasoning. Given its robust and cross-cultural nature, we hypothesize this progression may be paced in part by maturation/specialization of the brain. Neuroimaging research demonstrates that the right temporoparietal junction (TPJ) becomes increasingly selective for ToM reasoning as children age, and as their ToM improves. But this research has narrowly focused on beliefs or on undifferentiated mental-states. A recent ERP study in children included a critical contrast to desire-reasoning, and demonstrated that right posterior potentials differentiated belief-reasoning from desire-reasoning. Taken together, the literature suggests that children’s desire-belief progression may be paced by specialization of the right TPJ for belief-reasoning specifically, beyond desire-reasoning. In the present study, we tested this hypothesis directly by examining children’s belief- and desire-reasoning using functional near-infrared spectroscopy in conjunction with structural magnetic resonance imaging to pinpoint brain activation in the right TPJ. Results showed greatest activation in the right TPJ for belief-reasoning, beyond desire-reasoning, and beyond non-mental reasoning (control). Findings replicate and critically extend prior ERP results, and provide clear evidence for a specific neural mechanism underlying children’s progression from understanding desires to understanding beliefs.

On the relation between theory of mind and executive functioning: A developmental cognitive neuroscience perspective

“…Wiesmann and colleagues also demonstrated increased connectivity between temporoparietal and IFG regions in relation to ToM performance, suggesting both white matter maturation and increased connectivity strength across these classic ToM regions in preschool-aged children. Moreover, the progression from desire to belief reasoning being supported by the TPJ has recently been replicated using fNIRS methods (Bowman, Kovelman, Hu, & Wellman, 2015). On aggregate, these findings coalesce with electrophysiological evidence in dispelling the strict version of the ToM↔EF proposal of a completely overlapping neural network.…”

Functional Organization of the Temporal–Parietal Junction for Theory of Mind in Preverbal Infants: A Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Study

“…The prediction that follows from this view is that the specialized functional organization for ToM would require substantial brain development and should not be present until approximately the time children are able to explain their FB understanding. However, other work using implicit measures such as eye gaze suggest that even infants and toddlers may track the mental states of others, including FBs, well before they can explain them (Baillargeon et al, 2010). Some interpret these findings as evidence of early present ToM (Leslie et al, 2004;Baillargeon et al, 2010;Carruthers, 2013).…”

“…However, other work using implicit measures such as eye gaze suggest that even infants and toddlers may track the mental states of others, including FBs, well before they can explain them (Baillargeon et al, 2010). Some interpret these findings as evidence of early present ToM (Leslie et al, 2004;Baillargeon et al, 2010;Carruthers, 2013). What develops under this view is not ToM specifically, but rather the general cognitive abilities that support the increasing verbal and cognitive demands of explicit tasks.…”

“…liefs (FBs) of others (Wellman et al, 2001). Some interpret this as the major developmental milestone necessary for ToM to be considered present (Wellman et al, 2001;Apperly and Butterfill, 2009;Perner and Roessler, 2012). The prediction that follows from this view is that the specialized functional organization for ToM would require substantial brain development and should not be present until approximately the time children are able to explain their FB understanding.…”

Functional organization of the temporal-parietal junction for theory of mind in preverbal infants: A near-infrared spectroscopy study

“…From the behavioral work alone it is clear that children increase in their ability to explicitly demonstrate understanding of others' beliefs in different tasks and across different situations (see Baillargeon et al 2010). Furthermore, previous work has shown that the TPJ continues to increase in specialization for processing others' beliefs into late childhood, and this brain development has been shown to be related to behavioral competency on explicit ToM tasks (Bowman et al 2015;Gweon et al 2012;Sabbagh et al 2009;Saxe et al 2009). Nevertheless, our results suggest that Functional organization for theory of mind in infants 28 a central component of the mature ToM network, the TPJ, spontaneously differentiates between the belief states of others' in infancy and this sensitivity is present well before the capacity to explicitly demonstrate ToM understanding develops.…”