Trajectories of theory of mind development during middle childhood: A four-wave longitudinal study

This longitudinal study investigates theory of mind (ToM) development in middle childhood and its demographic and linguistic predictors. In this study, 194 Italian primary school children (Mage = 9.4 years; 47% girls; 28% with one or both Italian parents) were assessed four times over 2 years using a multi-modal ToM battery. Results confirmed longitudinal measurement invariance of the ToM battery. Latent growth modeling showed ToM growth from Time 1 to Time 3, followed by a plateau. Analyses revealed significant inter-individual variability at Time 1 but no variance in the rate of development. Higher verbal ability and having siblings predicted higher initial ToM, while non-native speakers began lower but showed greater gains. Findings extend existing accounts on ToM development.