Theory of Mind Explanation for Autism
Theory of mind deficit in autism
Real World
In Baron-Cohen's Sally-Anne false belief task, most neurotypical 4-year-olds correctly predict Sally will look in her basket, but children with autism typically say she will look where the marble actually is — revealing a theory of mind deficit.
Exam Focus
Describe the Sally-Anne task accurately and link the inability to pass it directly to impaired mentalising; examiners expect the mechanism, not just the label 'theory of mind'.
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