Caregivers’ Mental State Talk and Children’s Theory of Mind

Abstract This chapter explores the role that caregiver-child conversation plays in shaping children’s developing theory of mind (ToM). This work focuses primarily on parents (typically mothers) as socializers of ToM and typically on parents’ mental state talk. This chapter begins with a brief theoretical overview, then synthesizes the many ways that mental state talk is conceptualized, including mental state types (e.g., cognition, emotion), reference of the mental state (e.g., mother, child), quality of mental state talk (e.g., descriptive, explanatory), context of mental state talk (e.g., reading, reminiscing), and the function of mental state utterances (e.g., statement, question). The causal relation between adult mental state talk and children’s ToM is examined with evidence from longitudinal and training studies. Understudied areas of adult mental state talk are explored, including cultural differences, and fathers’ and teachers’ mental state talk with children. Methodological issues and future directions are also discussed.