Sociology Essay

book required: Bjorklund, David F. and Causey, K.B. (2009). Children’s Thinking, 6th edition, Los Angeles: Sage

Please answer every part to the question.

1.) What is meant by a “theory theory”? Why do theory theorists consider themselves inheritors of Piaget’s tradition? How do theory theorists view the process of cognitive development? Describe what theory theorists also have in common with core knowledge approaches. In this context, clarify the role of evolution and how cognition is thought to be constrained.

2.) What are the basic social-cognitive skills underlying a theory of mind? Describe the two primary skills that are necessary to a theory of mind. How are these related to shared attention and referential communication? How does evidence from studies of imitation support this view of the early development of theory of mind?

3.) What is the difference between the Intentionality Detector, the Eye-Direction Detector, and the Emotion Detector? Describe the Intentionality Detector, the Eye-Direction Detector, and the Emotion Detector. Describe the systems that they are a part of, when they develop, and their contribution to children’s theory of mind. What is the developmental timeline for each of these components and how is that related to other aspects of children’s theory of mind (including false-beliefs and deception, for example)?

4.) What is the relation between Theory of Mind and Autism? Describe Baron-Cohen’s concept of mindblindness. What is his source of evidence for this concept? How is this distinct from general intellectual ability? Describe the sorts of real world problems in which children with ASD perform more poorly than their typically developing peers and show how these problems may be related to deficits in the mindreading and empathizing systems