Reviving pragmatic theory of theory of mind.

Theory of Mind (ToM) refers to the ability to attribute mental states to self and others. It has been debated whether or not language capacity precedes ToM in development. Evidence from both neurological and developmental studies suggested that while linguistic capacity is important for ToM understanding, pragmatic component, which is a non-structural part of language, is more important for ToM.

Sex differences in the neural basis of false-belief and pragmatic language comprehension.

Increasing research evidence suggests that women are more advanced than men in pragmatic language comprehension and Theory of Mind (ToM), which is a cognitive component of empathy. We measured the hemodynamic responses of men and women while they performed a second-order false-belief (FB) task and a coherent story (CS) task. During the FB condition relative to the baseline (unlinked sentences [US]), we found convergent activity in ToM network regions, such as the temporoparietal junction (TPJ) bilaterally and precuneus, in both sexes.

Cultural effects on the neural basis of theory of mind.

"Theory of mind" has been described as the ability to attribute and understand other people's desires and intentions as distinct from one's own. It has been found to develop as early as between 3 and 4 years old, with precursor abilities possibly developing much earlier. There has been debate about the extent to which the developmental trajectory of theory of mind may differ across cultures or language systems.