Abstract: (from the jacket) Do children have a theory of mind? If they do, at
     what age is it acquired? What is the content of the theory, and how does
     it differ from that of adults? "The Child's Theory of Mind" integrates the
     diverse strands of this rapidly expanding field of study. It charts
     children's knowledge about a fundamental topic--the mind--and
     characterizes that developing knowledge as a coherent commonsense theory,
     strongly advancing the understanding of everyday theories as well as the
     commonsense theory of mind.... Wellman presents evidence that children as
     young as age three do possess a commonsense theory of mind--that they
     grasp the distinction between mental constructs and physical entities and
     that they have an understanding of the relationship between individuals'
     mental states and their overt actions. He delves in detail into questions
     about the nature of adults' commonsense theories of mind and about the
     nature of commonsense theories.... Wellman then examines the content of
     the three-year-old's theory of mind, the nature of children's notions of
     mind before age three, the changes in the theory during subsequent
     development from ages three to six, and the young child's conception of
     mind in comparison with those of older children and adults.

   Contents:
     Series foreword.
     Acknowledgments.
     Children, theories, and the mind: An introduction.
     Understanding the basic distinction between mental and physical phenomena.
     Young children's understanding of belief.
     Commonsense belief-desire psychology.
     Everyday theories.
     Young children's belief-desire psychology.
     Further clarifications of the theory and the data.
     Before three.
     From three to six: From copies to imaginings to interpretations.
     From three to six: Other implications.
     Beyond six.
     Conclusions.
     Notes.
     References.
     Index.