News Psychology

Learning curve not so smooth

Preschoolers often achieve mind reading milestone in fits and starts

WRONG AGAIN  Preschoolers take a variety of paths in the course of learning that others can have errant beliefs, such as assuming a toy is in a basket when it has been moved to a box, a new study finds. Kids often go back and forth in displaying this type of social knowledge rather than following a smooth learning curve.

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By Bruce Bower

- More than 2 years ago

Many preschoolers take a surprisingly long and bumpy mental path to the realization that people can have mistaken beliefs — say, thinking that a ball is in a basket when it has secretly been moved to a toy box.