Links between theory of mind and executive function in young children with autism: Clues to developmental primacy.

Pellicano, Elizabeth

doi:10.1037/0012-1649.43.4.974

Cited by 352Child and Animal Learning DevelopmentAutism Spectrum Disorder ResearchDevelopmental and Educational Neuropsychology

Links between theory of mind and executive function in young children with autism: Clues to developmental primacy.

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Pellicano, Elizabeth·2007·Developmental Psychology

DOI 10.1037/0012-1649.43.4.974

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Abstract

There has been much theoretical discussion of a functional link between theory of mind (ToM) and executive function (EF) in autism. This study sought to establish the relationship between ToM and EF in young children with autism (M = 5 years, 6 months) and to examine issues of developmental primacy. Thirty children with autism and 40 typically developing children, matched on age and ability, were assessed on a battery of tasks measuring ToM (1st- and 2nd-order false belief) and components of EF (planning, set shifting, inhibition). A significant correlation emerged between ToM and EF variables in the autism group, independent of age and ability, while ToM and higher order planning ability remained significantly related in the comparison group. Examination of the pattern of ToM-EF impairments in the autism group revealed dissociations in 1 direction only: impaired ToM with intact EF. These findings support the view that EF may be 1 important factor in the advancement of ToM understanding in autism. The theoretical implications of these findings are discussed.

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In ASD, cognitive flexibility and shifting skills correlate with ToM tasks requiring perspective change.
“cognitive flexibility and shifting skills have shown a significant correlation with ToM tasks that require children to change from their own perspective to that of others”
From Social Cognition in Children with High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Associations with Executive Functions (2017) · cites this paper as Pellicano, 2007
Previous studies have demonstrated a link between ToM and EF in children and adolescents with ASD, specifically on set-shifting skills.
“Previous studies have demonstrated a link between ToM and EF in children and adolescents with ASD, specifically on set-shifting skills (Joseph and Tager–Flusberg, 2004; Pellicano, 2007).”
From Social Cognition in Children with High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Associations with Executive Functions (2017) · cites this paper as Pellicano, 2007
Recent WCST studies demonstrate deficits in changing sorting strategy across autism subtypes, ages, and cognitive levels.
“Recent studies using this measure in autism also demonstrate deficits in changing sorting strategy across populations of various autism subtypes, ages and cognitive levels ([9,13–22], but see Ref. [23]).”
From The paradox of cognitive flexibility in autism (2009) · cites this paper as [19]
Theory of mind and executive function are linked in one particular direction, such that children's emerging executive function plays a critical role in shaping the development of theory of mind, but not vice versa.
“Yet both theoretical and longitudinal empirical work in typical (Hughes and Ensor 2007) and autistic (Pellicano 2007;2010;Russell 1996, Russell 1997) children have demonstrated that ToM and EF themselves are linkedand in one particular direction, such that children's emerging EF plays a critical role in shaping the development of ToM (but not vice versa).”
From Childhood Executive Function Predicts Later Autistic Features and Adaptive Behavior in Young Autistic People: a 12-Year Prospective Study (2019) · cites this paper as Pellicano 2007

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“…this finding is consistent with previous work showing that intervention to improve EF enhances social reasoning (Fisher & Happ e, 2005) and that EF abilities may be precursors to Theory of Mind abilities (Flynn, 2007), or in any case are correlated with them (Pellicano, 2007; Perner & Lang, 1999).”
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Authors: Pellicano, E.
Affiliations: University of Oxford (GB)
Corresponding author: Pellicano, Elizabeth
ORCID: Pellicano, Elizabeth
Venue: Developmental Psychology
Publisher: American Psychological Association (APA)
Published: 2007
Volume: 43
Issue: 4
Pages: 974-990
ISSN: 0012-1649 (ISSN-L)
1939-0599
DOI: 10.1037/0012-1649.43.4.974
OpenAlex: W2163367670
Cited by: 352
References: 104
Citations by year: 2026: 10 · 2025: 10 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 19 · 2022: 25 · 2021: 18 · 2020: 19 · 2019: 18 · 2018: 16 · 2017: 28 · 2016: 22 · 2015: 30 · 2014: 22 · 2013: 32 · 2012: 19
FWCI: 21.67
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: green
discovery.ucl.ac.uk
Locations: Developmental Psychology (publishedVersion)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
UWA Profiles and Research Repository (UWA) (submittedVersion)
Explore Bristol Research (submittedVersion)
Funders: University of Oxford
Topics: Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Child and Animal Learning Development
Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
Social Sciences › Psychology › Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology › Developmental and Educational Neuropsychology
Keywords: theory of mind, executive function, autism spectrum disorder, false belief understanding, planning, set-shifting, inhibition, young children, cognitive development
MeSH terms: Autistic Disorder, Child, Developmental Disabilities, Child, Preschool, Cognition Disorders, Female, Humans, Male, Psychological Theory

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Links between theory of mind and executive function in young children with autism: Clues to developmental primacy.

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