The purpose of this project is to continue and extend our research on the development of young children's knowledge about the mind. During the current grant period we have elaborated a theory of this development. It asserts that children begin their discovery of the world by learning that they and other people have internal experiences that connect them cognitively to objects and events-- experiences like perceiving objects, knowing them, wanting them, fearing them, etc. Later, they gradually come to understand the these cognitive connections engender inner mental representations of their external objects, and consequently that it is possible for the same object to be represented in different, seemingly contradictory ways: for example, as A in appearance but R in reality (appearance-reality), or a A1 by one person but A2 by another (perceptual, cognitive, and affective perspective-taking). Most of the proposed studies are designed to test the theory; all of them are intended to advance our knowledge of this important area of cognitive development. What we learn about children's limitations in understanding the appearance-reality distinction and perspectives may have health- related applications. For example, children may be all too willing to try drugs or alcohol, engage in dangerous activities, be easy prey to persuasive appeals, etc., partly because they cannot easily imagine that things that seem or appear pleasant could in reality be unpleasant (appearance-reality), and that how things feel now may be different from how they feel later (perspectives).

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Type
Method to Extend Research in Time (MERIT) Award (R37)
Project #
5R37MH040687-07
Application #
3486757
Study Section
Cognition, Emotion, and Personality Research Review Committee (CEP)
Project Start
1985-07-01
Project End
1993-06-30
Budget Start
1991-07-01
Budget End
1992-06-30
Support Year
7
Fiscal Year
1991
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Stanford University
Department
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
800771545
City
Stanford
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
94305
Flavell, J H; Flavell, E R; Green, F L (2001) Development of children's understanding of connections between thinking and feeling. Psychol Sci 12:430-2
Flavell, J H; Green, F L; Flavell, E R et al. (1997) The development of children's knowledge about inner speech. Child Dev 68:39-47
Lagattuta, K H; Wellman, H M; Flavell, J H (1997) Preschoolers' understanding of the link between thinking and feeling: cognitive cuing and emotional change. Child Dev 68:1081-104
Flavell, J H; Green, F L; Flavell, E R (1995) Young children's knowledge about thinking. Monogr Soc Res Child Dev 60:1-96;discussion 97-114
Lyon, T D; Flavell, J H (1994) Young children's understanding of ""remember"" and ""forget"". Child Dev 65:1357-71
Lyon, T D; Flavell, J H (1993) Young children's understanding of forgetting over time. Child Dev 64:789-800
Flavell, J H; Green, F L; Flavell, E R (1993) Children's understanding of the stream of consciousness. Child Dev 64:387-98
O'Neill, D K; Astington, J W; Flavell, J H (1992) Young children's understanding of the role that sensory experiences play in knowledge acquisition. Child Dev 63:474-90
Moses, L J; Flavell, J H (1990) Inferring false beliefs from actions and reactions. Child Dev 61:929-45
Lillard, A S; Flavell, J H (1990) Young children's preference for mental state versus behavioral descriptions of human action. Child Dev 61:731-41

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