Effects of labeling on preschoolers' explicit false belief performance: outcomes of cognitive flexibility or inhibitory control?

Child Development
Jason Low, Samantha Simpson

Abstract

Executive function mechanisms underpinning language-related effects on theory of mind understanding were examined in a sample of 165 preschoolers. Verbal labels were manipulated to identify relevant perspectives on an explicit false belief task. In Experiment 1 with 4-year-olds (N = 74), false belief reasoning was superior in the fully and protagonist-perspective labeled conditions compared to the child-perspective and nondescript labeling conditions. In Experiment 2 with 3-year-olds (N = 53), labeling the nondominant belief only biased attentional inertia. In Experiment 3 testing generalization in 4-year-olds (N = 38), labeling manipulations translated to improved performance on a second label-free explicit false belief task. These outcomes fit a cognitive flexibility account whereby age changes in the effects of labeling turn on formulating sophisticated conceptual representations.

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Citations

Mar 21, 2012·The British Journal of Developmental Psychology·Bo WangQu Qinghua
Mar 21, 2012·The British Journal of Developmental Psychology·Valerie San Juan, Janet Wilde Astington
Jan 30, 2015·British Journal of Psychology·Bo WangJason Low
Sep 2, 2014·The Journal of Genetic Psychology·Louis ManfraAdam Winsler
Sep 30, 2016·Frontiers in Psychology·Anna AmadóEduard Vallès-Majoral
Feb 11, 2020·Frontiers in Psychology·Philip ClarkeSally Akehurst

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