Date of Award
2022
Document Type
Thesis
Department
Psychology
Mentor
David Carscaddon
Abstract
Present theory of mind research suggests that autistic individuals demonstrate deficits in theory of mind capabilities. A literature review was conducted to investigate the claim made by the theory of mind hypothesis of autism that theory of mind deficits are responsible for the social deficits present in autistic individuals. It was concluded that this hypothesis was prematurely accepted as an explanatory model for autism when it is better described as a symptom of autism. Alternative explanations for autistic social deficits such as executive function deficits and the theory of weak central coherence were analyzed. Implications and suggestions for future research are briefly discussed.
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Citation Information
Smith, Kendall, "The Theory of Mind Hypothesis of Autism" (2022). Undergraduate Honors Theses. 52.
https://digitalcommons.gardner-webb.edu/undergrad-honors/52