A SOCIO-LINGUISTIC APPROACH TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF FOLK PSYCHOLOGY
A SOCIO-LINGUISTIC APPROACH TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF FOLK PSYCHOLOGY

Summary/Abstract: One of the most interesting issues central to folk psychology is how it develops in humans. Over the past few decades, two distinct theories have emerged known as the Theory-Theory and Simulation Theory. Theory-theory supporters argue that children construct theories to explain behavior, while simulation theorists extol the virtues of empathy—putting yourself in another person’s shoes. I argue that each position falls short of an adequate account of how folk psychology develops. Instead, explaining behavior is a matter of acquiring folk psychological concepts within a culture and then learning how to deploy such terms with competence.

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