TY - JOUR
T1 - Theory of mind and rule use in individuals with Down's syndrome
T2 - A test of the uniqueness and specificity claims
AU - Zelazo, Philip David
AU - Burack, Jacob A.
AU - Benedetto, Elizabeth
AU - Frye, Douglas
PY - 1996/5
Y1 - 1996/5
N2 - The relationship between Theory of Mind (ToM) and rule use was explored in adults with Down's Syndrome (DS) and in non-handicapped pre-schoolers. Twelve low-functioning individuals with DS (mean mental age = 5.1 years, mean chronological age = 22.7) performed worse than 12 MA-matched non-handicapped children (mean MA = 5.1 years) on several standard ToM tasks and on a color-shape card-sorting task in which subjects were required to switch between two incompatible sets of rules. On the ToM tasks, people with DS tended to focus on a single state of affairs (e.g. the present situation). Likewise, on the card sort, these subjects tended to use a single set of rules on all trials. Performance in the two types of task was positively correlated when MA was partialed out. The results are inconsistent with the claim that ToM reflects a domain-specific psychological function and the notion that deficits in ToM are unique to individuals with autism.
AB - The relationship between Theory of Mind (ToM) and rule use was explored in adults with Down's Syndrome (DS) and in non-handicapped pre-schoolers. Twelve low-functioning individuals with DS (mean mental age = 5.1 years, mean chronological age = 22.7) performed worse than 12 MA-matched non-handicapped children (mean MA = 5.1 years) on several standard ToM tasks and on a color-shape card-sorting task in which subjects were required to switch between two incompatible sets of rules. On the ToM tasks, people with DS tended to focus on a single state of affairs (e.g. the present situation). Likewise, on the card sort, these subjects tended to use a single set of rules on all trials. Performance in the two types of task was positively correlated when MA was partialed out. The results are inconsistent with the claim that ToM reflects a domain-specific psychological function and the notion that deficits in ToM are unique to individuals with autism.
KW - Down's syndrome
KW - Rule use
KW - Specificity
KW - Theory of Mind
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/0029866786
UR - https://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0029866786&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/j.1469-7610.1996.tb01429.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1469-7610.1996.tb01429.x
M3 - Article
C2 - 8735448
AN - SCOPUS:0029866786
SN - 0021-9630
VL - 37
SP - 479
EP - 484
JO - Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines
JF - Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines
IS - 4
ER -