Language

Abstract The complexity of the language construct poses a challenge for theory of mind (ToM) research. This chapter provides an overview of the language construct and situates it in relation to children’s ToM development. The chapter begins by outlining two distinct conceptions of the language construct—the expressivist and designative views—and then highlights how those different views impact methodology in research on ToM. Language is a social activity, and the next section discusses the relevance of ToM in social communication. The chapter then introduces empirical evidence that indicates children’s general language skills and sociolinguistic experiences shape and influence ToM development. The final sections of the chapter present theoretical work that proposes why language impacts ToM. That theoretical work, rooted in conceptions of language discussed at the outset of the chapter, sets up the major questions and problems pursued in the subsequent chapters of the book.