Parenting and Theory of Mind

Parenting and Theory of Mind represents the conjunction of two major research literatures in child psychology. One is longstanding. The question of how best to rear children has been a central topic for psychology ever since psychology began to develop as a science. The other research literature is a good deal younger, though quickly expanding. Theory of mind (ToM) has to do with understanding of the mental world-what people (children in particular) know or think about mental phenomena such as beliefs, desires, and emotions. An important question that research on TOM addresses is where do children's ToM abilities come from? In particular, how do children's experiences shape their development? If we know the formative experiences that underlie ToM, then we may be able to optimize this important aspect of development for all children. The last 15 or so years have seen a rapid expansion of the literature on the social contributors to ToM, including hundreds of studies directed to various aspects of parenting. These studies have made clear that parents can be important contributors to what their children understand about the mental world. This is the first book to comprehensively bring together the literature on ToM and parenting, summarizing what we know about how parenting contributes to one of the most important outcomes in cognitive development and outlining future directions for research in this growing area.

About the Author :
Scott Miller, PhD, is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Psychology at the University of Florida. He was a faculty member in Psychology at the University of Michigan prior to joining the University of Florida's Psychology Department. Dr. Miller is a member of the Cognitive Development Society, the Jean Piaget Society, and the Society for Research in Child Development and a Fellow of the American Psychological Association and the Association for Psychological Science. His research has examined various aspects of cognitive development in young children, and his current research focus is on the development of theory of mind during the preschool and grade-school years.

Review :
"All too often, methods, interests, and theory create an artificial divide between our understanding of cognitive and social developments. Scott Miller's lucid and readable book, Parenting and Theory of Mind, handsomely and thoughtfully overcomes any such divide. His coverage of theory of mind is expert; his use of theory of mind to tell us about how parents influence children's understanding of minds specifically, and influence their social cognition plus social actions more broadly, is terrific. I learned a lot-both about what is known and what remains to be discovered." --Henry M. Wellman, PhD, Harold W. Stevenson Collegiate Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Michigan "Miller gives us a highly readable, state-of-the-art review and commentary on relations between parenting and theory of mind. His writing is beautifully lucid and concise. The summaries and commentaries, integrating a huge body of research, provide an excellent overall perspective on the issues involved. The book will be an invaluable resource for researchers, clinicians, and students." --Janet Wilde Astington, PhD, Professor Emerita, University of Toronto "In Parenting and Theory of Mind, Scott Miller examines the intersection of two of the most extensive and significant research literatures in developmental psychology. Miller's thoughtful analysis illuminates numerous ways in which parents influence children's developing understanding of mind and, in turn, the myriad achievements generated by a mind-minded construal of others." --Karen Bartsch, PhD, Professor and Head, Psychology Department, University of Wyoming "This book provides a clear, thorough, and up-to-date review of the multiple interrelated literatures that span the growing field of parenting and theory of mind. The careful treatment of methods and measurements, the placement of specific findings into broad narratives, and the authoritative summations of large literatures will be greatly appreciated by advanced students and researchers. This book will be indispensable for anyone wishing to learn how one of the central challenges of cognitive development-coming to understand the mind-is impacted by what parents say and do." --Derek Montgomery, PhD, Professor, Department of Psychology, Bradley University "Parenting and Theory of Mind provides a thorough review of the literature on the relation between parenting and children's social understanding. Bringing together research and theory concerning social and cognitive development during infancy and childhood, Scott Miller addresses a central question regarding the development of social cognition: where does children's theory of mind come from? Miller's analysis of theoretical and methodological issues is clear and insightful. His book provides a valuable examination of a growing body of research regarding social influences on social cognitive development." --Bradford H. Pillow, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University