The DOI matches its Crossref record; 30 of the 31 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Language Promotes False-Belief Understanding: Evidence From Learners of a New Sign Language
Open accessAbstract
Developmental studies have identified a strong correlation in the timing of language development and false-belief understanding. However, the nature of this relationship remains unresolved. Does language promote false-belief understanding, or does it merely facilitate development that could occur independently, albeit on a delayed timescale? We examined language development and false-belief understanding in deaf learners of an emerging sign language in Nicaragua. The use of mental-state vocabulary and performance on a low-verbal false-belief task were assessed, over 2 years, in adult and adolescent users of Nicaraguan Sign Language. Results show that those adults who acquired a nascent form of the language during childhood produce few mental-state signs and fail to exhibit false-belief understanding. Furthermore, those whose language developed over the period of the study correspondingly developed in false-belief understanding. Thus, language learning, over and above social experience, drives the development of a mature theory of mind.
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“In fact, in humans, ToM may have emerged as a by-product of increasing language ability (4), as indicated by the high correlation between ToM and language aptitude, the delayed ToM acquisition in people with minimal language exposure (38), and the overlap in the brain regions responsible for both (39).”
From Evaluating large language models in theory of mind tasks (2024) · cites this paper as [38]
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“The gradual performance improvement suggests a connection with LLMs’ language proficiency, which mirrors the pattern seen in humans (4, 38–41, 57).”
From Evaluating large language models in theory of mind tasks (2024) · cites this paper as [38]
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“ToM has been shown to positively correlate with participating in family discussions (40) and the use of and familiarity with words describing mental states (38, 41).”
From Evaluating large language models in theory of mind tasks (2024) · cites this paper as [38]
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Research works printed but not linked: 2
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- Pyers J.E. (2004). The relationship between language and false-belief understanding: Evidence from learners of an emerging sign language in Nicaragua. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of California, Berkeley.
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Metadata
- Authors
- Pyers, J. E., & Senghas, A.
- Affiliations
- Wellesley College (US)
- Columbia University (US)
- Venue
- Psychological Science
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2009-07
- Volume
- 20
- Issue
- 7
- Pages
- 805-812
- ISSN
- 0956-7976 (ISSN-L)
- 1467-9280
- PMC
- PMC2884962
- OpenAlex
- W1963693551
- Cited by
- 245
- References
- 31
- Citations by year
- 2026: 8 · 2025: 39 · 2024: 22 · 2023: 10 · 2022: 16 · 2021: 16 · 2020: 25 · 2019: 13 · 2018: 15 · 2017: 14 · 2016: 12 · 2015: 10 · 2014: 9 · 2013: 6 · 2012: 10
- FWCI
- 16.40
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Psychological Science (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte
- National Institute of Mental Health (F31MH012848, 5F31MH12848-02)
- National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (R01DC005407, R56DC005407, R01 DC05407)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Child and Animal Learning Development
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Hearing Impairment and Communication
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Language Development and Disorders
- Keywords
- false belief understanding, theory of mind, language development, Nicaraguan Sign Language, deaf children, emerging sign languages, social cognition, language and cognition
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Age Factors, Concept Formation, Critical Period, Psychological, Deafness, Humans, Language Development, Learning, Longitudinal Studies, Deception, Nicaragua, Sign Language, Task Performance and Analysis, Cohort Studies, Personal Construct Theory, Comprehension, Young Adult, Theory of Mind
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