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The Theory of Mind Hypothesis of Autism: A Critical Evaluation of the Status Quo

Long, Emily L; Catmur, Caroline; Bird, Geoffrey; (2025) The Theory of Mind Hypothesis of Autism: A Critical Evaluation of the Status Quo. Psychological Review 10.1037/rev0000532. (In press). Green open access

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Abstract

The theory of mind (ToM) hypothesis of autism is the idea that difficulties inferring the mental states of others may explain social communication difficulties in autism. In the present article, we critically evaluate existing theoretical accounts, concluding that none provides a sufficient explanation of ToM in autism. We then evaluate existing tests of ToM, identifying problems that limit the validity of the conclusions that may be drawn from them. Finally, as an example of how the identified issues may be resolved, we describe work developing a psychological account of ToM (the Mind-space framework) and a new test of ToM accuracy (the Interview Task).

Type: Article
Title: The Theory of Mind Hypothesis of Autism: A Critical Evaluation of the Status Quo
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1037/rev0000532
Publisher version: https://doi.org/10.1037/rev0000532
Language: English
Additional information: This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0). This license permits copying and redistributing the work in any medium or format, as well as adapting the material for any purpose, even commercially.
Keywords: Theory of mind, mentalizing, autism, neurodiversity, mind space
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education > IOE - Psychology and Human Development
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10203828
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