Theory of mind (ToM) refers to the ability to infer others’ mental states. In our everyday lives, we need to interact constantly and appropriately with others. Not only is ToM involved in understanding others’ mental states (other-oriented mental inferences), but it also helps to keep our own mental states (self-oriented mental inferences). In this study, we designed a false-belief task using event-related potential (ERP) measures to investigate the dynamic differences between the two types of mental inferences. In the false-belief task, participants were prompted with a cue to attribute a belief to either themselves (self-oriented) or another person (other-oriented). Results showed that other-oriented false-belief attribution elicited a larger late positive component (LPC; 320~440 ms post-cue onset) than the one elicited by self-oriented attribution at bilateral parieto-occipital electrodes, and also a larger late negative component (LNC; 380~500 ms post-cue onset) at frontal-central electrodes. In addition, the difference in amplitude of LPC between the two types of false-belief attribution was positively correlated with self-reported autistic traits measured by the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ). Based on prior literature, we propose that the LPC and LNC reflect the processes of self-other distinction and conflict control, respectively. Moreover, the difficulty in distinguishing other from the self is related to one’s degree of autistic traits.

心理理论（ToM）是指推断他人心理状态的能力。在我们的日常生活中，我们需要不断地、适当地与他人互动。ToM 不仅涉及理解他人的心理状态（面向他人的心理推理），而且还有助于保持我们自己的心理状态（面向自我的心理推理）。在这项研究中，我们使用事件相关电位 (ERP) 测量设计了一个错误信念任务来调查两种类型的心理推断之间的动态差异。在错误信念任务中，参与者被提示将信念归因于他们自己（以自我为导向）或另一个人（以他人为导向）。结果表明，面向他人的错误信念归因引发了更大的晚期阳性成分（LPC；提示后 320~440 ms）比双侧顶枕电极的自我定向归因引起的，以及额中央电极的晚期负成分（LNC；提示后 380~500 ms）更大。此外，两种类型的错误信念归因之间LPC幅度的差异与自闭症谱商（AQ）测量的自我报告的自闭症特征呈正相关。基于先前的文献，我们提出 LPC 和 LNC 分别反映了自我-他者区分和冲突控制的过程。此外，区分他人与自我的难度与一个人的自闭症特征程度有关。两种类型的错误信念归因之间LPC幅度的差异与自闭症谱商（AQ）测量的自我报告的自闭症特征呈正相关。基于先前的文献，我们提出 LPC 和 LNC 分别反映了自我他者区分和冲突控制的过程。此外，区分他人与自我的难度与一个人的自闭症特征程度有关。两种类型的错误信念归因之间LPC幅度的差异与自闭症谱商（AQ）测量的自我报告的自闭症特征呈正相关。基于先前的文献，我们提出 LPC 和 LNC 分别反映了自我-他者区分和冲突控制的过程。此外，区分他人与自我的难度与一个人的自闭症特征程度有关。