Theory of Mind

Theory of Mind (ToM) is a term coined to describe people's effortless propensity to search for intentions behind actions. ToM research began with primates in 1978 and continues in humans to investigate both the developmental stages of skills involving the ability to understand other's mental states − infants (7 months old) compute other's beliefs − and its brain basis. Research on ToM has always overlapped with research on autism. Findings indicate that individuals with autism have a diminished cognitive awareness of their own and others' mental states, and their brain connectivity in a multicomponents network is disrupted in different areas.