How the Development of Children's Theory of Mind Contribute to Their Ability to Manage Emotions - Essay Example

Introduction Psychology, just like philosophy, has found too many fields of application. If not in medicine, psychology has found application in education, commerce, religion, etc. Virtually, psychology has found application almost everywhere. Since we have seen the multilateral application of psychology, it is important to understand what it entails. Psychology may be construed to refer to the scientific study of the mental functions and the general behaviour of an individual. It ventures into various aspects such as personality, perception, behaviour, recognition, emotion etc. Many branches of psychology do exist but our major concern here is the branch called developmental psychology. When one talks of developmental psychology, he is referring to the systematic study of the psychological changes that occur in humans as they grow and throughout their entire life span. At its inception, the field of developmental psychology targeted mainly infants and children. However, with time, the field has evolved to embrace the adolescents, adults, aging and the entire life span to be precise. The changes studied under developmental psychology range from motor skills to psycho-physiological concerns. Similarly, cognitive changes especially skills such as problem solving, ethical and moral perceptions are also considered (Louw, 2003). Other developmental areas considered include but are not limited to emotional development, conceptual understanding, self-image formation (basically called self-concept) and identity formation. It is important to note that developmental psychology is concerned with growth as per the gradual accumulation of knowledge and mostly considers individual stages of development such as infancy, childhood, adolescence, adulthood, late adulthood and aging. Each developmental stage has its psychological developments analyzed, compared to the general norm and hence identify anomalies in development. This paper seeks to explain how the development of children’s theory of mind contributes to their ability to manage emotions (Richardson, 2000). Developmental Psychology; a Sociological and Cultural Issue The distinction of the age range within each stage of development or within a single stage say childhood or adolescence varies from one community to another. These distinctions are not fixed and they vary greatly depending on the culture and the social orientation of the society doing the distinction. For instance, the age at which an individual is seen as a juvenile varies from one state to another and therefore it is automatic that the age of at which one converts to an adult from adolescence will also vary. Therefore, the distinction between childhood and adulthood will also vary between these states and generally vary from one cultural and social group to another all along history. It is important to note that the passage year into adulthood or passage years within adulthood itself as a stage of development is socially and culturally fixed. All cultures divide the entire life of human beings into more all less the same but what differ are the transition ages from one stage to another or from one sub stage (within one development stage say adulthood) to another. Of great importance are the roles that come with the attainment of each development stage (Barber, 1957). Child Development Child development may be construed to refer to both biological and psychological changes that take place in human beings between birth and entry into adulthood. It can also be seen to represent the transition from dependency seen in infants and children to greater autonomy at the start and toward the end of adolescence. It is imperative to note that child development is only a subset of developmental psychology which concerns the biological and psychological development of an individual throughout the entire lifespan. The commonly asked question is what is the concern of child development? Actually, as mentioned above, child development concerns itself with the biological and psychological or even sociological changes that occur in an individual between the time of birth up until the end of adolescence and the beginning of adulthood (Jenks, 2005). Child development is age specific just like developmental psychology is. Child development is therefore broken into age groups which are commonly represented as below: Newborn--- 0 to1 month Infant--- 1 month to 1 year Toddler--- 1 to 3 years Preschooler--- 4 to 6years School-aged child--- 6 to 13 years Adolescent--- 13 to 20 years (Kail, 2006) For all the age groups enumerated above, a number of developmental aspects are studied. These developmental aspects include the physical growth, motor development, cognitive/intellectual development, social-emotional development and language development. A number of theories have been put forth to explain how individual develop along the developmental aspects listed in the foregoing paragraphs. Each of the theorists such as Piaget, Vygotsky and Erik Erikson among others presents his/her perspective of what takes place throughout the period of child development. They explain every aspect of development precisely describing the changes that take place and the sociological implications of these changes. Of great interest to this paper is the emotional component of development in children (Miller, 1993). Theory of Mind Based on the fact that the focus of this paper is on the emotional component of child development it is imperative that the theories that have been put forth to explain the emotional aspect of child development are highlighted. These theories have developed over time and they have immensely affected the ability of children to manage emotions. The question that remains is what is theory of mind? Having understood what theory of mid is then it is easy to understand how its development has been able to contribute to the ability of children to manage emotions. Theory of mind is construed to refer to the ability to point out mental states of an individual. The mental states referred to in this definition of theory of mind include but are not limited to intents, desires, knowledge, beliefs and pretending among others. It is imperative to note that theory of mind is notably different from the philosophy of mind even though there is a philosophical orientation of the discussions of theory of mind. As such theory of mind is basically a theory because one is not able to see the other person’s mind. One is only able to observe or prove that one has a mind through what the other person believes, intends, desires etc because all these things are not possible if one doesn’t have a mind. Does this then mean that it is the business of the theory of mind to prove that one has a mind? Basically, it can be seen that through theory of mind, the existence of mind in an individual becomes evident. For instance, from the kind of desires, a belief etc that one subscribes to, it is possible to judge or classify the personality of an individual (Eckert, 2006). As mentioned earlier, the presence of mind in individuals is not obvious. It is only assumed that others have minds by use of analogy with one’s mind. Besides the analogy, presence of mind in an individual can also be inferred or implied by the mutual nature of interactions especially in social contexts as seen from the use of language, joint attention and the understanding of other people’s emotions. How then is the theory of mind able to help explain other people’s actions? Through theory of mind one is able to attribute not only thoughts but also intentions and desires to other individuals and as such be able to predict their actions and locate the status of their emotions at any one given time. Having this in mind theory of mind therefore to understand the fact that the mental state can not only cause behaviour but can also be used to explain behaviour. Therefore, explain and predict behaviour and as such a person who lacks or has insufficient theory of mind may be a sign of both developmental and/or cognitive impairment. It is for this reason that children in their development should be able to develop theory of minds so as to be able to attribute and predict behaviour (Smith & Carruthers, 1996). The theory further explains how children start to learn to express their emotions. Just like anything else, children learn by observing those around them. They will watch keenly the reactions of their seniors to situations even when they are least expected to be making any sense from a situation. Most of the emotional development of the child is determined by the socially ascribed ruled. For instance, western society construes overt emotions to be a maladjustment which needs to be reigned in. this idea of emotion takes two main fronts. First, the child is expected to learn and practice the emotional displays that are approved by the social ideals of the society. Secondly, a child is expected to learn to control his/her emotions. These two fronts add up to what is termed as rational emotional behaviour and rational in this case implies control over the emotions. Through a constant learning and reprieve, the child eventually understands the emotion-situation relational dynamics. The child learns when and when not to shoe emotions, why it is important to control emotions, why negative emotions should not be provocated in others among other socially approved emotional management ideals. These ideals are used as yardsticks to measure the positivity and negativity of emotional communication and expression (Eckert, 2006). How Theory of Mind Assists Children to Manage Their Emotions Inasmuch as the theory of mind appears to be innate it requires both social and psychosocial experience in order to make it fruitful to the bearer. It is for this reason that other people are better off than others as far as theory of mind is concerned. Those who are well versed in the theory of mind are in a position to understand, attribute and predict other people’s behaviours and thus make them to be well prepared in their response to these actions. Other people have a more developed theory of mind than others and are more effective in relating to others and expressing themselves to others. Taking children as our working example, we seek to show how a well developed theory of mind in a child is able to make the child be in a position to manage his/her emotions better than their counterpart who may have a less developed theory of mind. Empathy has much to do with emotions and can be used to illustrate the facts stated in the foregoing sentences. A child who has a well developed theory of mind has a formidable stock of experience which puts him/her in a position to recognize and understand the states of mind of others i.e. recognize and understand the desires, beliefs, emotions, fears and even aspirations of others. This recognition and understanding of other people’s states of mind brings out the empathy in and individual. It also enable the child to express his emotions to feel for others, the child feels sorry and is often ready to help a colleague or friend in a situation that calls for these kind of emotions. Emotionally, the child with a well developed theory of mind is able to be in other people’s shoes and as such be in a position of experiencing their predicaments and circumstances and the result is empathy as opposed to sympathy (Wellman & Wellman, 1992). As mentioned earlier, child development is society specific. This therefore implies that children from a given society are more likely to have a highly developed theory of mind than those of related or even conflicting societies. It has often been told that an individual is the sum total and the product of his/her upbringing, culture and environment. All these things combine in quite a complex way to give forth an individual with definite unique personality. However, it has been noticed that other factors such as gender and ethnic background which automatically implies culture affects the way an individual thinks and behaves besides other aspects of life such as attitudes, belief system etc all of which are shaped and immensely affected by the culture, gender and ethnicity among other things. A society that is highly conscious of the theory of mind and communicates this to the young ones ends up making a grown society of people who are able to manage their emotions better than a society that is lacking in theory of mind. A socialist society is more likely to be better in terms of theory of mind than a capitalistic society. Besides the society, individuality or personality of the child is also in play as far as the development of the theory of mind is concerned. But personality is the product of gene and the environment. Therefore, the input of those people surrounding the child plays a big role in the development of the theory of mind in the child. The child will always copy what those people around him/her do. The way they think, the way they behave, and the way they express their emotions. If for instance a child is surrounded by people who are rich in the theory of mind, then the child is likely to develop a strong theory of mind thus becoming an emotional manager to be reckoned with (Eckert, 2006). It is now evident that the development of the theory of mind has a formidable impact on the way a child manages his/her emotions. If a child is hit by his colleague there is a tendency of the child to hit the child back or get mad with rage. The reaction will depend on the child in question and it is conceivable that there are likely to be as many responses as the children that will be subjected to this situation. However, there is a common reaction for those children with a well developed theory of mind because the theory will enable the child to want to understand and attribute this behaviour properly. The child with a well developed theory of mind will also seek to understand why the offending colleague is acting that way instead of burning with rage and desire to revenge. These efforts to not only attribute but also understand the behaviour of the other child makes the victim (hit child) to be in a better position to control his/her emotions (Wellman & Wellman, 1992). Considering the same scenario but with different participants; child with less developed or totally lacking the theory of mind, the outcome explains how beneficial the theory of mind is to children in terms of managing their emotions. A child with less developed theory of mind is likely to hit back the child even harder and in future try to avoid the company of the offensive colleague or friend or at least anticipate the behaviour. As such, the child is more likely to be in an awkward situation to control his/her emotions mostly because of a less developed theory of mind. Understanding people and their actions at any one time is a precursor to a better orientation to controlling of emotions. Reaction to situations, words and actions from others especially in a social setting requires that the child learns to understand the intentions of the others from which the words and actions originate. If the intention is understood the action can as well be understood. It is possible that a bad action can result from a good intention and vice versa. But if the action alone is focussed, there is a likelihood of misunderstandings. It is for this reason that children in their development should be predisposed to efforts to understand other people’s intentions and motives before they try to understand their actions. Actions are mostly reflections of the motives and intentions and are useless if judged per se. But the effort to understand the motives and intentions of others is the concern of theory of mind and this is why a child with a well developed theory of mind is in a better position to understand others’ motives and intentions. The question that is sought in this situation is: How does the understanding of motive or intention relate to the ability of the child to manage emotions? Basically, emotions are representations of reactions to situations and circumstances. It is possible for one to control emotions especially through the use of reason. Reason and understanding are often seen to be synonymous. Therefore, if you are able to understand the motive behind an action one is in a better position to control the emotional reaction to the action than the contra position. Therefore, understanding of emotions and intentions of others helps children to better manage their emotions. In other words, a highly developed theory of mind goes a long way in enhancing the child’s ability to manage his/her emotions (Wellman & Wellman, 1992). Societal roles are assigned differently and on the basis of the developmental changes observed at each stage of development. For instance, one will be expected to marry and raise a family at the entry into adulthood whereas other societies will prefer on to move on to the middle adulthood before he or she could marry. When these developmental changes are observed the assignment of rights, roles, privileges and responsibilities then takes place (Pikunas& Eugene, 1991). You may be wondering how relevant the issue of role assignment is different societies is to the role of theory of mind in children’s ability to manage their emotions. Actually, it has everything to do with it. First, the role assignment has a part to play in the child’s development. If a child is assigned demanding roles that call for sense of responsibility, then the child becomes responsible. As such, roles which are carefully thought out and chosen can elicit a strong theory of mind from the child assigned these roles. For instance, a child can be taught how to do carry out some roles in a manner that the child internalizes the theories of mind that come with the roles. Therefore, it is possible that children can be taught to develop their theories of mind further with assignment of specific roles as they grow. The more the roles, the more likely the child’s theory of mind will develop and the more likely the child will be in a better position to control his/her emotions (Bornstein, 2002). Gender, ethnicity, and culture are very strong factors that have immense effects and influences on both family and individuals. The influences stemming from these factors go a long way in shaping the attitudes, behaviours and even belief systems of individuals which are the very personality identification tools. These influences also make an individual to be in a better position to understand other people’s attitudes, behaviours and belief systems. Individuals are different because they do not share the same culture, ethnicity or gender. If this was the case, then the people world over will think, behave and even act the same way (Dolores et al, 2005). This is not possible because we, world over, can never share these factors. It is important that we understand what these factors are before we move on to understand the effects and influences they have on an individual. Culture refers to the values, beliefs, symbols and meanings which are common and distinct to a given society and are passed on from one generation to the next. Ethnicity on other hand refers to the common ancestral lineage and sense of belonging. It is a key factor in community identity (and consequently individual identity) which communities use to develop a common value systems which beach member subscribes to. A child predisposed to culture learns most of the theories that come with the cultural ideals. Culture demands that fairness has to be exercise regardless of the differences of other people from us. The fairness ideal is some kind of theory of mind because fairness is not possible in absence of understanding. One has to first understand the other person’s intentions, fears, predicaments, wishes, dreams, aspirations, motives etc in order to be fair. In general, the concept being communicated her is that culture plays a great role of developing the child’s conception and internalization of the theories of mind. The more the theories are learnt and internalized, the more the child is in a better position to manage his/her emotions. Therefore, culture is very important in helping children manage their emotions (Bornstein, 2002). Teaching children how to communicate effectively helps them to encode and decode intentions, motives and desires of others quickly and accurately. This decoding and encoding highly enhances the development of the child’s theory of mind which on the other hand enables the ability of the child to express freely and manage his/her emotions. Therefore there is only one connection between theory of mind and child’s management of emotions; the highly developed theory of mind enables the child’s ability to manage emotions and vice versa (Astington et al, 1990). What is important is how to help develop the theory of mind in the developing child. In conclusion, the theory of mind has a strong potential of positively enhancing the child’s ability to manage emotions. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the parents and the society in general to ensure that the children in their development are passed through orientations that help develop their conception and internalization of the theory of mind. This is important because of the effect of the theory of mind on the child’s ability to manage his/her emotions. Emotional management is a very important attribute of any human being leave alone any child. A child with an excellent ability to manage emotions eventually grows into a very responsible adult who will control his/her emotions to achieve the most important and highly desired objectives. 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