Algorithm

Linguistics

Cognitive psychology

Philosophy

Neuroscience

Similarity (geometry)

Social psychology

Cognition

Mental state

Developmental psychology

Computer science

Turkish

Prejudice (legal term)

Cognitive science

Theory of mind

Organic chemistry

Psychology

Image (mathematics)

Artificial intelligence

Chemistry

Group (periodic table)

State (computer science)

Child Development

Using a between‐groups design and random assignment, this study examined 214 Turkish children's ( M = 11.66 years) mindreading and general reasoning about in‐group members (Turks), similar out‐group members (Syrians within Turkey) and dissimilar out‐group members (Northern Europeans). Children heard four mindreading and four general reasoning stories with in‐group or out‐group members as targets. Whereas children's general reasoning about three groups was equivalent, accuracy of mental state inferences differed by target with more accurate mindreading of in‐group targets compared to both sets of out‐group targets. In this Turkish sample, mindreading of Syrian targets was the least accurate. Prejudice and perceived realistic threat predicted lower mindreading. These findings have important implications for understanding how similarity and intergroup processes play a role in children's mindreading.

The Capricious Nature of Theory of Mind: Does Mental State Understanding Depend on the Characteristics of the Target?