BackgroundResearch implies early relational factors – parental appropriate mind‐mindedness (MM) and mutually responsive orientation (MRO) – as antecedents of children's Theory of Mind (ToM), yet the longitudinal path is unclear. Furthermore, little is known about the process in father–child relationships. In two studies of community families in a Midwestern state in United States, we tested a path from parental appropriate MM in infancy to parent–child MRO in toddlerhood to children's ToM at preschool age in mother– and father–child relationships, using comparable observational measures at parallel ages.MethodsIn Children and Parents Study (CAPS) of children born in 2017 and 2018, we collected data at 8 months (N = 200, 96 girls), 38 months, age 3 (N = 175, 86 girls), and 52 months, age 4.5 (N = 177, 86 girls). In Family Study (FS) of children born mostly in 2001, we collected data at 7 months (N = 102, 51 girls), 38 months, age 3 (N = 100, 50 girls), and 52 months, age 4.5 (N = 99, 49 girls). Parental MM (verbal comments aligned with the infant's psychological state) was observed in infancy, MRO (parent and child responsiveness to each other and shared positive affect) at age 3, and ToM (false belief tasks) at age 4.5.ResultsThe findings supported the proposed indirect effects of parents' MM on children's ToM, mediated by MRO, for fathers and children in both studies, and for mothers and children, in CAPS. In FS, mothers' MM predicted MRO and ToM, but there was no mediation.ConclusionsThis investigation, testing a path from MM to MRO to ToM in both mother– and father–child relationships in two longitudinal studies, adds to the literature that has described relations among those constructs but rarely integrated those in one model.

中文翻译：

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心智理论的早期关系起源：两项研究的复制


背景研究表明，早期关系因素——父母适当的心智 （MM） 和相互响应的取向 （MRO）——是儿童心智理论 （ToM） 的前因，但纵向路径尚不清楚。此外，人们对父子关系中的过程知之甚少。在美国中西部一个州的社区家庭的两项研究中，我们使用平行年龄的可比观察测量方法，测试了从婴儿期父母适合的 MM 到幼儿期的亲子 MRO，再到学龄前儿童母子关系中的 ToM 的路径。方法在 2017 年和 2018 年出生的儿童和父母研究 （CAPS） 中，我们收集了 8 个月 （N = 200,96 名女孩）、38 个月、3 岁 （N = 175,86 名女孩） 和 52 个月、4.5 岁 （N = 177,86 名女孩） 的数据。在主要在 2001 年出生的儿童的家庭研究 （FS） 中，我们收集了 7 个月 （N = 102， 51 名女孩）、38 个月、3 岁 （N = 100， 50 名女孩） 和 52 个月、4.5 岁 （N = 99， 49 名女孩） 的数据。在婴儿期观察到父母 MM（与婴儿的心理状态一致的口头评论），在 3 岁时观察到 MRO（父母和孩子对彼此的反应并共享积极影响），在 4.5 岁时观察到 ToM（错误信念任务）.结果结果结果支持父母的 MM 对儿童 ToM 的间接影响，由 MRO 介导，在两项研究中对父亲和孩子， 对于母亲和儿童，则为 CAPS。在 FS 中，母亲的 MM 预测 MRO 和 ToM，但没有中介。结论这项调查在两项纵向研究中测试了母子关系中从 MM 到 MRO 再到 ToM 的路径，增加了描述这些结构之间关系但很少将它们整合到一个模型中的文献。