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Theory of Mind

·July 2, 2026·11 min read

Aphantasia Shatters Classical Theories of Imagistic Thought

A new study demonstrates that aphantasia, the complete absence of mental imagery, fundamentally disproves David Hume’s classical theory of cognition, proving that abstract thought operates independently of sensory visualization.

Featured Neuroscience

·June 29, 2026·11 min read

A Universal Model of Childhood Mind Development

Participants consistently categorize mental growth into an early-emerging "Perceptual–Experiential" nature dimension and a later-developing "Reflective–Evaluative" nurture dimension, showing that a synchronized cognitive model underpins global perceptions of childhood and human potential.

Featured Neuroscience

·April 27, 2026·10 min read

Language and Empathy Have Distinct Origins in the Developing Brain

A new fMRI study of 3-to-9-year-olds shows that the brain's architecture for speaking and empathy is distinct and stable from early childhood.

This shows two people looking at one another and two brains.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·March 9, 2026·8 min read

How Your Brain Sizes Up Others in Real-Time

Scientists have discovered a specific brain network that acts as a "neural fingerprint" for how well we understand what others are thinking.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·November 11, 2025·6 min read

AI Models Form Theory-of-Mind Beliefs

Researchers showed that large language models use a small, specialized subset of parameters to perform Theory-of-Mind reasoning, despite activating their full network for every task. This sparse internal circuitry depends heavily on positional encoding, especially rotary positional encoding, which shapes how the model tracks beliefs and perspectives.

This shows a child, an MRI machine, and a brain.

Neuroscience

·June 25, 2025·4 min read

Cerebellum Shapes Children’s Empathy and Theory of Mind

Understanding others’ beliefs—especially false ones—is key to human communication and begins to develop between ages three and five. In a new study, researchers observed children’s brain activity while they watched movies in an MRI scanner to investigate the neurological roots of Theory of Mind (ToM).

This shows a little girl reading a book, surrounded by cute animals.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·November 22, 2024·5 min read

Animal Characters in Children’s Books Boost Theory of Mind

Animal characters in children's books can significantly boost their theory of mind skills, which are essential for understanding social cues. The research showed that children exposed to animal characters performed better in theory of mind tests than those with human characters, with younger children scoring similarly to older peers.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·March 27, 2024·5 min read

Empathy Begins in Infancy

Children as young as 18 months display empathic concern towards others, marking a significant milestone in early emotional and cognitive development. The research found that children's capacity for empathic concern grows in environments where caregivers respond sensitively to their needs, highlighting the importance of social interactions in acquiring empathy.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·July 13, 2023·4 min read

Better ‘Mind Reading’ Skills Linked to Enhanced Cooperation

A new study reveals that individuals with stronger 'mindreading' abilities, or the capacity to understand others' feelings and intentions, are more successful in cooperative tasks. This trait, also known as 'theory of mind,' is not directly tied to intelligence and can potentially be improved through training programs.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·December 26, 2022·4 min read

Females on Average Perform Better Than Males on a ‘Theory of Mind’ Test Across 57 Countries

A new study of over 300,000 people that spans 57 countries reveals women are, on average, more empathetic than males. Consistent across all age groups and most nationalities, women tend to score higher on tests of cognitive empathy, or "theory of mind" than males.

This shows a boy and girl playing outdoors

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·December 17, 2022·5 min read

What Pretend Play Tells Us About Social Cognition

By the age of two, most children are able to embark on pretend play and adopt a perspective that does not fit reality. This enables children to develop the ability to attribute perspective to others that they don't share. Findings suggest the ability to adopt perspectives, an important aspect of developing social cognition and the attribution of mental state, is already present in young children.

Autism Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·December 8, 2022·4 min read

The Idea That Mind and Body Are Separate Is Natural, for Neurotypical People

Those on the autism spectrum are more likely to consider the body and mind to be one, while those not on the autism spectrum are more likely to believe the body and the mind are separate entities.