Boletim - Academia Paulista de Psicologia
ISSN 1415-711X
SILVA, Renata de Lourdes Miguel da RODRIGUES, Marisa Cosenza. Theory of mind in schoolchildren: a systematic review of the literature. []. , 40, 99, pp.261-270. ISSN 1415-711X.
Theory of mind is the ability to understand mental states and to predict behavior, being fundamental for social interactions. It develops predominantly in childhood, but improves throughout life. This study presents a systematic review of investigations about theory of mind in schoolchildren. Searches were carried out on the databases of LILACS, PsycInfo, Scopus and on the CAPES Theses Bank. 30 studies were identified and analyzed, the participants of which were solely schoolchildren (6 to 11 years old). The results indicate the predominance of interdisciplinary studies carried out, mostly, in the continents of America and Europe. 14 instruments that evaluated theory of mind were identified in the sample analyzed. Production in the area has developed significantly, especially in the last four years. There are different trends for new research, indicating that the area tends to continue growing with important theoretical-practical contributions in the sphere of child development.
: social cognition; systematic review; childhood; Theory of mind.