Aproximación a las diferentes perspectivas teóricas sobre la «teoría de la mente»

A mechanism starts in children between 3 and 5 ears old. This will allow them to become experts on communication. It is a question of «theory of mind». With it children will be able to use others' mental states (thoughts, emotions, beliefs, intentions) to predict their behaviour and to adjust their own behaviour to achieve communicative success. The more recent theories which try to elucidate what and how is acquired when «theory of mind» develops are shown. The first question is explained by theory-theory, according to which children construct theories, in a scientific way, to understand communicative phenomena in which they are immerse. On the other hand simulationist perspectives explain how children put themselves in the other's situation, and in this way, can imagine in the others' mind their own mental states. The second question is answered from the existence of innate skills, species specific, which develop through time, and from the fact that the child's social group provides conceptual and linguistic instruments for constructing the skill to represent the representations of the others. Finally a theoretic perspective which can explain «theory of mind» from contributions described and examined previously is outlined.