Manifestations of Theory of Mind (ToM) in Primary School Students During Art Appreciation Sessions
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
Theory of Mind (ToM) is the cognitive ability to understand one’s own and others’ mental states, recognizing that others have unique beliefs and perspectives. This study uniquely integrates Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) with ToM development, offering a novel approach to understanding how art appreciation can enhance cognitive and socio-emotional skills in primary school students. By examining both cognitive and affective dimensions of ToM across diverse socio-cultural contexts, this research provides a comprehensive analysis that bridges gaps in existing literature on art education and cognitive development. The findings have significant practical implications, suggesting that incorporating VTS into the curriculum can foster empathy, perspective-taking, and critical thinking, thereby contributing to a more inclusive and supportive classroom environment.
Keywords: Art Appreciation; Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS); Aesthetic Experiences; Cognitive Efficiency; Empathy; Imagination; Theory of Mind (ToM); Social and Emotional Learning.
Downloads
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
The copyright notice is CC BY SA.
This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon your work even for commercial purposes, as long as they credit you and license their new creations under the identical terms. All new works based on yours will carry the same license. Thus any derivatives will also allow commercial use. For example, if someone translates your article into French, the French version of the article will also have to be shared under a CC BY SA license.
References
Adams, R.-B., Rule, N.-O., Franklin, R.-G., Wang, E., Stevenson, M.-T., Yoshikawa S., Nomura, M., Sato, W., Kveraga, K. & Ambady, N. (2010). Cross-cultural reading the mind in the eyes: an fMRI investigation. Journal of Cognitive Neurosciences 22(1):97-108. http://dx.doi.org/10.1162/jocn.2009.21187
Aghaosa, I.-P. (2015). The Epistemic links between aesthetic knowledge and extra-aesthetic values and experiences: Implications for aesthetic learning curricula and rational pedagogy. Journal of Educational and Instructional Studies in The World, 5(3), 2146-7463. Retrieved from https://www.semanticscholar.org
Arranz, E., Artamendi, Olabarrieta, F., & Martín (2010). Family Context and Theory of Mind Development. Early Child Development and Care, 172(1), 9-22. https://doi.org/10.1080/03004430210880
Atkinson, L., Slade, L., Powell, D., & Levy, J.-P. (2017). Theory of mind in emerging reading comprehension: A longitudinal study of early indirect and direct effects. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 30(16), 190-194. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2017.04.007
Baron-Cohen, S. (2003). Male And Female Brains and The Truth About Autism. The essential difference. Basic Books.
Beloyianni, V., Zbainos, D., & Karagianni, M.-P. (2024). From mindreading to originality: Exploring the relationship between Theory of Mind and Creativity across the lifespan. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 42(2), 215-233. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjdp.12476
Bensalah, L., Caillies, S., & Anduze, M. (2015). Links between cognitive empathy, Theory of Mind, and affective perspective taking by young children. Journal of Genetic Psychology, 177(1), 17-31. https://doi.org/10.1080/00221325.2015.1106438
Bergeron, V., & Lopes, D.-M. (2012). Aesthetic theory and aesthetic science. In A. P. Shimamura & S. E. Palmer (Eds.), Aesthetic science: Connecting minds, brains, and experience (pp. 61-79). Oxford University Press.
Blijd-Hoogewys, E.-M.-A., & van Geert, P.-L.-C. (2017). Non-linearities in Theory-of-Mind development. Frontiers in Psychology, 7. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01970
Broadbent, D. (1958). Perception and Communication. Pergamon Press.
Bullot, N.-J., & Reber, R. (2013). The artful mind meets art history: Toward a psycho-historical framework for the science of art appreciation. Behavioural Brain Sciences, 36, 123-137. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0140525X12000489
Burton, J.-M. (1994). The arts in school reform: Other conversations. Teachers College Record, 95(4), 477-493. Retrieved from ERIC database. (EJ490200)
Craig, J., & Baron-Cohen, S. (1999). Creativity and imagination in autism and Asperger syndrome. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 29(4), 319-326. https://doi.org/10.1023/a:1022163403479
Dvash, J., & Shamay-Tsoory, S.-G. (2014). Theory of Mind and empathy as multidimensional constructs: Neurological foundations. Topics in Language Disorders, 34(4), 282-295. https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1097/TLD.0000000000000040
Duval, C., Piolino, P., Bejanin, A., Laisney, M., Eustache, F., & Desgranges, B. (2011). La théorie de l’esprit : aspects conceptuels, évaluation et effets de l’âge. Revue de neuropsychologie, 3, 41-51. https://doi.org/10.1684/nrp.2011.0168
Freedberg, D., & Gallese, V. (2007). Motion, emotion and empathy in aesthetic experience. Trends in Cognitive Science, 11(5), 197-203. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2007.02.003
Gilli, G.-M., Ruggi, S., Gatti, M., & Freeman, N.-H. (2016). How children’s mentalistic theory widens their conception of pictorial possibilities. Frontiers in Psychology, 7(177). https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00177
Greene, J.-P., Kisida, B., & Bowen, D.-H. (2013). Learning to think critically: A visual art experiment. Educational Researcher, 43(1), 37-44. https://doi.org/10.3102%2F0013189X13512675
Greene, J.-P., Kisida, B., & Bowen, D.-H. (2014). The educational value of field trips. Education Next, 14(1), 78-86. Retrieved from https://www.educationnext.org
Guariglia, P., Piccardi, L., Giaimo, F., Alaimo, S., Miccichè, G., & Antonucci, G. (2015). The eyes test is influenced more by artistic inclination and less by sex. Frontiers in Human Neurosciences, 9(292). https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2015.00292
Housen, A., & Yenawine, P. (2002). Aesthetic thought, critical thinking and transfer. Arts and Learning Research Journal, 18, 99-131. https://vtshome.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/5%C3%86sthetic-Thought-Critical-Thinking-and-Transfer.pdf
Hynes, C.-A., Baird, A.-A., & Grafton, S.-T. (2005). Differential role of the orbital frontal lobe in emotional versus cognitive perspective-taking. Neuropsychologia, 44(3), 374-383. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2005.06.011
Iosifyan, M. (2020). Theory of Mind increases aesthetic appreciation in visual arts. Art & Perception, 9, 113-133. https://doi.org/10.1163/22134913-bja10011
Keskin, B. (2009). How would theory of mind play a role in comprehending art? Early Child Development and Care, 179(5), 645-649. https://doi.org/10.1080/03004430701482167
Knupsky, A., & Caballero, M.-S. (2020). Do we know what they are thinking? Theory of mind and affect in the classroom. Teaching and Learning Inquiry, 8(1), 108-121. https://doi.org/10.20343/teachlearninqu.8.1.
Leder, H., & Nadal, M. (2014). Ten years of a model of aesthetic appreciation and aesthetic judgments: The aesthetic episode – Developments and challenges in empirical aesthetics. British Journal of Psychology, 105, 443–464. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjop.12084
Leder, H., Belke, B., Oeberst, A., & Augustin, D. (2004). A model of aesthetic appreciation and aesthetic judgments. British Journal of Psychology, 95, 489–508. https://doi.org/10.1348/0007126042369811
Lockl, K., Ebert, S., & Weinert, S. (2017). Predicting school achievement from early theory of mind: Differential effects on achievement tests and teacher ratings. Learning and Individual Differences, 53, 93-102. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2016.11.007
Mendonça, P. (2020). Influence d’activités d’appréciation d’œuvres d’art visuel Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) sur l’attention sélective et soutenue d’élèves du 2e cycle du primaire (Doctoral dissertation, Université de Sherbrooke). Savoirs UdeS. https://savoirs.usherbrooke.ca/handle/11143/17155
Mendonça, P., Savoie, A., & Émond, A.-M. (2019). Theory of mind, aesthetic judgment and child development issues: A narrative review. Canadian Review of Art Education: Research and Issues, 46(2), 33–48. https://crae.mcgill.ca/article/view/69/
Menninghaus, W., Wagner, V., Hanich, J., Wassiliwizky, E., Jacobsen, T., & Koelsch, S. (2017). The Distancing-Embracing model of the enjoyment of negative emotions in art reception. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 40, E347. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0140525X17000309
Myszkowski, N., & Zenasni, F. (2016). Individual Differences in Aesthetic Ability: The Case for an Aesthetic Quotient. Frontiers in Psychology, 7, 750. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00750
Myszkowski, N., Storme, M., Zenasni, F., & Lubart, T. (2014). Is visual aesthetic sensitivity independent from intelligence, personality and creativity? Personality and Individual Differences, 59, 16-20. https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1016/j.paid.2013.10.021
Parsons, M.-J. (1987). How We Understand Art: A Cognitive Developmental Account of Aesthetic Experience. Cambridge University Press.
Pellowski, M., & Akiba, F. (2011). A model of art perception, evaluation and emotion in transformative aesthetic experience. New Ideas in Psychology, 29, 80-97. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.newideapsych.2010.04.001
Robinson, K. (2000). Arts Education’s place in a knowledge-based global economy. (4-6) Proceedings from an invitational meeting for education, arts and funders, Los Angeles (12-14). Spitz & Associates, Inc.
Robinson, K. (2015). Creative schools: The grassroots revolution that’s transforming education. Penguin.
Rodway, P., Kirkham, J., Schepman, A., Lambert, J., & Locke, A. (2016). The development of shared liking of representational but not abstract art in primary school children and their justifications for liking. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 10(21). https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2016.00021
San Juan, V., & Astington, J. (2017). Does language matter for implicit theory of mind? The effects of epistemic verb training on implicit and explicit false-belief understanding. Cognitive Development, 41, 19-32. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cogdev.2016.12.003
Savazzi, F., Massaro, D., Di Dio, C., Gallese, V., Gilli, G., & Marchetti, A. (2014). Exploring responses to art in adolescence: A behavioral and eye-tracking study. PLoS ONE, 9(7), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0102888
Savoie, A., & Mendonça, P. (2020). Empathie, théorie de l’esprit (ToM) et jugement esthétique. In A. Savoie, A.-M. Émond, M. Gagné, & C. Nadon (Éds.), Actes du Colloque sur la recherche en enseignement des arts visuels, Université de Sherbrooke 2018 (pp. 89–96). CRÉA Éditions. https://www.erudit.org/fr/livres/actes-du-colloque-sur-la-recherche-en-enseignement-des-arts-visuels/actes-du-colloque-sur-la-recherche-en-enseignement-des-arts-visuels-2018/004711co/04
Shivers, J., Leneson, C., & Tan, M. (2017). Visual literacy, creativity and the teaching of argument. Learning Disabilities: A Contemporary Journal, 15(1), 67-84. Retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1141995.pdf
Shusterman, R. (1997). The end of aesthetic experience. The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism, 55, 29-41. https://doi.org/10.2307/431602
Sigirtmac, A.-D. (2016). An investigation on the effectiveness of chess training on creativity and theory of mind development at early childhood. Academic Journals, 11(11), 1056-1063. https://doi.org/10.5897/ERR2016.2676
Smogorzewska, J., Szumski, G., & Grygiel, P. (2020). Theory of mind goes to school: Does educational environment influence the development of theory of mind in middle childhood? PLoS ONE, 15(8), e0237524. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0237524
Sinquefield-Kangas, R. (2023). Matter(s) of Empathy in Art Education & Research. Helsinki Studies in Education, 153. http://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-951-51-8814-4
van Leeuwen, J.-E.-P., Crutch, S.-J., & Warren, J.-D. (2023). Thinking eyes: Visual thinking strategies and the social brain. Frontiers in Psychology, 14. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1222608
Wang, Z. (2015). Theory of mind and children’s understanding of teaching and learning during early childhood. Cogent Education, 2(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2015.1011973
Weimer, A.-A., Dowds, S.-J.-P., Fabricius, W.-V., Schwanenflugel, P.-J., & Suh, G.-W. (2017). Development of constructivist theory of mind from middle childhood to early adulthood and its relation to social cognition and behavior. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 154, 28-45. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2016.10.002
Wellman, H.-M., & Lagattuta, K.-H. (2004). Theory of mind for learning and teaching: The nature and role of explanation. Cognitive Development, 19(4), 479-497. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cogdev.2004.09.003
Westby, C., & Robinson, L. (2014). A developmental perspective for promoting Theory of Mind. Topics in Language Disorders, 34(4), 362-382. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2005.06.011
Peter J.Woods, P.-J. & Copur-Gencturk, Y. (2024). Examining the role of student-centered versus teacher-centered pedagogical approaches to self-directed learning through teaching. Teaching and Teacher Education,138. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2023.104415
White, B. (2013). Pay attention, pay attention, pay attention. In B. White & T. Costantino (Eds.), Aesthetics, Empathy, and Education (pp. 99-116). Peter Lang Publishing.
Worringer, W. (1997). Abstraction and empathy: A contribution to the psychology of style. Chicago: Ivan R. Dee Publisher. (First ed. 1908). Retrieved from https://monoskop.org/images/a/a2/Worringer_Wilhelm_Abstraction_and_Empathy_1997.pdf
Wilson, D. (2000). Metarepresentational in linguistic communication. In D. Sperber (Ed.), Metarepresentations: A Multidisciplinary Perspective (pp. 411-48). Oxford University Press.
Yenawine, P. (2013). Visual Thinking Strategies: Using Art to Deepen Learning Across School Disciplines. Harvard Education Press.