Introduction to Cognitive Science

Theory of Mind

Last Update: 17 February 2014

Note: NEW or UPDATED material is highlighted


"Scientists used to think that we understand each other by observing each other and building hypotheses from the accumulated data. Now it seems more likely that we are, essentially, method actors who understand others by simulating the responses we see in them."


  1. Dennett, Daniel C. (1971), "Intentional Systems", Journal of Philosophy 68: 87-106; reprinted in Daniel C. Dennett, Brainstorms (Montgomery, VT: Bradford Books): 3-22.

  2. From:
    Wilson, Robert A.; & Keil, Frank C. (eds.) (2001),
    The MIT Encyclopedia of the Cognitive Sciences (Cambridge, MA: MIT Press).

    1. Baker, Lynne Rudder, "Folk Psychology".

    2. Gopnik, Alison, "Theory of Mind".

    3. Gordon, Robert M., "Simulation vs. Theory-Theory".

  3. Origgi, Gloria (2002), "Theories of Theory of Mind", from Nani, Marco, & Marraffa, Massimo (eds.), "A Field Guide to the Philosophy of Mind".

  4. Gordon, Robert M. (2004), "Folk Psychology as Mental Simulation", in Zalta, Edward N. (ed.), Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.

  5. Ravenscroft, Ian (2004), "Folk Psychology as a Theory", in Zalta, Edward N. (ed.), Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.

  6. Gordon, Robert M. (2005), "Folk Psychology vs. Mental Simulation: How Minds Understand Minds"

  7. Perner, Josef; Mauer, M. Christine; & Hildenbrand, Monika (2011), "Identity: Key to Children's Understanding of Belief", Science 333(6041) (22 July): 474–477.

  8. Gopnik, Alison (2012), "Scientific Thinking in Young Children: Theoretical Advances, Empirical Research, and Policy Implications", Science 337(6102) (28 September): 1623–1627.

  9. NEW
    Pantelis, Peter C.; Baker, Chris L.; Cholewiak, Steven A.; Sanik, Kevin; Weinstein, Ari; Wu, Chia-Chien; Tenenbaum, Joshua B.; & Feldman, Jacob (2014), "Inferring the Intentional States of Autonomous Virtual Agents", Cognition 130: 360–379.
    NEW



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