Measuring Theory of Mind: a preliminary analysis of a novel linguistically simple and tablet-based measure for children
DOKPE
- Baumeister, Franziska ORCID University of Fribourg
- Wolfer, Pauline ORCID University of Fribourg
- Sahbaz, Sümeyra ORCID Bern University of Teacher Education, Switzerland
- Rudelli, Nicola ORCID University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland, Locarno, Switzerland
- Capallera, Marine ORCID University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Western Switzerland, HES-SO, Fribourg, Switzerland
- Daum, Moritz M. ORCID University of Zurich, Switzerland
- Samson, Andrea C. ORCID University of Fribourg
- Corrigan, Grace ORCID University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, United States
- Naigles, Letitia ORCID University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, United States
- Durrleman, Stephanie ORCID University of Fribourg, Switzerland
- 2024
Published in:
- Frontiers in Developmental Psychology. - Lausanne, Switzerland: Frontiers Media SA. - 2024, vol. 2, p. 1-19
English
This study introduces a novel linguistically simple, tablet-based, behavioral Theory of Mind (ToM) measure, designed for neurotypical (NT) and autistic children aged 4–10 years. A synthesis of five comprehensive reviews of existing ToM measures revealed significant gaps in their designs; the weaknesses include a mismatch between the operational and conceptual definition of ToM, high verbal demands in most measures, materials that are minimally interesting for children, and often a lack of psychometric evaluations. These findings call into question the suitability of most of the currently available ToM measures used in children, both with and without developmental disorders, such as children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). For example, the assessment of ToM in children with ASD may require reduced reliance on complex language or social interaction that can be part of the diagnostic criteria of the condition. This newly designed ToM measure, developed in line with the “Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing” of the American Educational Research Association, is linguistically simple, tablet-based, suitable for children with ASD, and is available in English, German, French, Italian, and Spanish. With a sample of 234 participants, including 152 NT children and 82 children with ASD between 4 and 10 years of age, the new ToM measure’s psychometric properties were preliminarily evaluated. Descriptive statistics, measures of internal consistency, inter-item correlation, and validity checks were conducted in both groups. Further inspections of the measure’s scale- and item-level characteristics were conducted with the help of exploratory factor analyses (EFA), and item response theory (IRT) within the NT children’s group. These preliminary evaluations suggest that the newly developed ToM measure possesses good psychometric properties and is both accessible and engaging for children. Further investigation with a larger group of participants is necessary to reinforce these initial results. This will allow item- and scale-level assessments within a wider range of autistic children. For this purpose, the task will be made freely available to the scientific community.
- Faculty
- Faculté des sciences et de médecine
- Department
- Médecine 3ème année
- Language
-
- English
- Classification
- Medicine
- License
- CC BY
- Open access status
- gold
- Identifiers
-
- DOI 10.3389/fdpys.2024.1445406
- ISSN 2813-7779
- Persistent URL
- https://folia.unifr.ch/unifr/documents/329501
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