Evaluation

• Weakness - Methodological limitations

  Bloom and German (2000) suggest two reasons why false belief tasks lack validity

  Success on a false belief task requires other cognitive abilities apart from ToM (eg Memory)

  Although the Sally-Anne story is quite short and simple, but can be difficult for a child to remember

  Some studies have given children visual aids to help them remember the stories, finding the children with ASD succeed more

  A child can have a well-developed ToM and still struggle with false belief tasks

  Children who don't perform well on false belief tasks still enjoy pretend play, which requires ToM
• Weakness - Critique of Eyes task

  Much of the criticism of ToM research has been against false tasks

  However, the eyes task may also lack validity because the experience of looking at a static pair of eyes in isolation is so different from real life where we usually have access to additional information
• Strength - Applications to ASD

  It's widely agreed that people on the autism spectrum have more difficulty than other on age-appropriate ToM tests

  ToM research has been extremely useful in helping us understand the differing experiences of those on the autism spectrum and those working are 'neurotypical'
• Weakness - Applications to ASD

  The idea that ASD is the direct result of ToM deficit is controversial

  Tager-Flusberg (2007) suggests that more recent research has questioned the assumption that ToM problems are specific to ASD and that all those on the autism spectrum experience ToM problems

  ASD and ToM may therefore not be closely linked as was once believed

  Also, ASD has many other characteristics including cognitive strengths such as superior visual attention and highly systematic reasoning

  ToM cannot easily explain these characteristics
• Weakness - No clear understanding of how ToM develops

  There are several theories around how we develop our ToM

  Perner et al (2002) adopt a Piagetian approach and see ToM as simply developing in line with all cognitive abilities, i.e., it is based on an innate ability which matures with age and experience

  Wilde-Ashington (1998) takes a more Vygotskian line and suggests that we internalise our ToM during early interactions with adults

  There is no clear evidence to suggest which explanation is correct