Theory of mind (ToM) is seen as fundamental in development of social understanding. The study proposes that interpretive theory of mind (iToM), which follows ToM attainment, underlies important shifts towards mature social understanding. With ToM found to predict the needs orientation in prosocial moral reasoning (PMR), we hypothesized that iToM, unlike ToM, would account for PMR orientations requiring empathic reasoning. Those with iToM recognize the role of subjective processes, such as interpretation, in knowing. They can invoke others’ subjective processes, not just their physical perspectives, in explaining others’ decisions. A study with 225 7‐ to 11‐year‐old children (M_age = 9.04, SD = 0.91) found that iToM, but not ToM, predicted empathic and internalized values PMR orientations when controlling for age, emotion understanding and inhibitory control. These findings show that iToM attainment plays a unique role in developing social understanding such as reflected in empathic reasoning‐based PMR orientations.

中文翻译：

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解释性心智理论和共情亲社会道德推理

心理理论（ToM）被视为发展社会理解的基础。该研究提出，跟随ToM获得知识的解释性心智理论（iToM）是向成熟的社会理解的重要转变的基础。在发现ToM可以预测亲社会道德推理（PMR）中的需求取向之后，我们假设与ToM不同，iToM将解释需要共情推理的PMR取向。拥有iToM的人认识到主观过程（例如解释）在认识中的作用。他们可以在解释别人的决定时调用别人的主观过程，而不仅仅是他们的身体观点。一项针对225位7至11岁儿童的研究（M_年龄 = 9.04，SD = 0.91）发现，在控制年龄，情绪理解和抑制性控制时，iToM（而非ToM）预测了共情和内在价值PMR方向。这些发现表明，iToM的成就在发展社会理解方面发挥着独特的作用，例如基于共情推理的PMR取向所反映的。