Correlation between Theory of Mind (Intentionality) and Language in Normal Children

Theory of mind (ToM) has been described as the ability to understand other's mental states. One of the main aspects of ToM is intentionality. The aim of this study is to investigate relation between ToM (intentionality) and language ability using Movement Shapes Paradigm. Sixty boys of ages 7 to 9 without any mental disorders, based on interviews with their parents, participated in this study. All participants were assessed using the modified version of Movement Shapes Paradigm. Children's descriptions were rated according to their accuracy of answers, types of applying descriptions, and lengths of phrases. Verbal and language abilities were measured by verbal subtests of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WACIS-R). Finally, statistical analysis was conducted using correlation coefficient, R Spearman. Data analysis showed that there were weak relations between ToM and language ability (P=0.05). Correlations between intentionality score, answer accuracy, and length of answers from ToM tasks and total verbal IQ were r=0.21, r=0.16, and r=-0.1, respectively. Based on these findings, it can be concluded that ToM as measured by Movement Shapes Paradigm is weakly related to language ability.