Theory of Mind Development in Preschoolers with Hearing Impairment

354

Abstract

The article is devoted to the study of the development of a mental model in preschoolers with hearing impairment after cochlear implantation. The analysis of the specifics of the manifestations of the mental model deficiency, which is associated with the peculiarities of using the means of special attention in preschoolers with hearing impairment, is carried out. The ability of a child's focal attention to attention as a critical additional, necessary for the development of a mental model. Sample consisted of 40 preschool children aged 5-7 years (Mage=5,9 years, SDage=0,6 months), 20 with sensorineural hearing loss with cochlear implants (years (Mage=5,6 years, SDage=0,6 months, age by moment of implantation Mage=3,2 years, SDage=0,6) and 20 typically developing preschoolers of 5–7 years old (Mage=5,1 years, SDage=0,5 months). Standardized methods for assessing the mental model were used: test for erroneous opinion (Sally–Anne's task), the task “What does Charlie want?”, the task of understanding intentions based on external signs, the task of understanding the principle “to see means” (A.S. Gerasimova, E.A. Sergienko) To fix the eye movement of preschoolers during the behavior of a child with an adult in play conditions, the eye-tracking method was used. It is recorded that preschoolers with hearing impairments are selectively unable to detect and interpret the intentions of another person, and they also have a lack of means of coordinated attention.

General Information

Keywords: mental model, theory of mind, social cognition, social attention, joint attention, age-related development, preschool age, atypical development, IT tracker

Journal rubric: Empirical Research

Article type: scientific article

DOI: https://doi.org/10.17759/cpse.2021100208

Funding. This work was supported by a grant from the President MK-307.2020.6 “Eye-tracking Study on Disorders of Coordination of Social Attention in Preschool Age”

For citation: Smirnova Y.K. Theory of Mind Development in Preschoolers with Hearing Impairment [Elektronnyi resurs]. Klinicheskaia i spetsial'naia psikhologiia = Clinical Psychology and Special Education, 2021. Vol. 10, no. 2, pp. 124–144. DOI: 10.17759/cpse.2021100208. (In Russ., аbstr. in Engl.)

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Information About the Authors

Yana K. Smirnova, PhD in Psychology, Associate Professor of the Department of General and Applied Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Altai State University, Barnaul, Russia, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5453-0144, e-mail: yana.smirnova@mail.ru

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