Bilingualism and theory of mind: variation within bilingual preschoolers

The present study examined the link between preschoolers' bilingualism and their Theory of Mind (ToM) understanding. As exposure to two languages may increase children's ability to understand complex mental states, the impact of bilingualism on the advancement of ToM among bilingual preschool children was investigated. Participants were recruited from preschools in the San Francisco Bay Area that serve predominantly multicultural and multilingual communities. All thirty-seven children (mean age = 47.11 months; SD = 5.39) that participated were reported as being bilingual by their parent. All parents filled out a survey regarding their child's ability to understand and speak in a second language. To measure ToM understanding, participants were given the Wellman and Liu's (2004) Theory of Mind Scale, which included six items varying in level of difficulty. To measure English receptive vocabulary the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT-4) was given. A significant correlation was found between child's English receptive vocabulary and ToM understanding. Hierarchical regression analysis rev ealed that preschoolers' level of bilingualism accounted for significant variance in overall ToM performance, even after controlling for their level of English receptive vocabulary. The present study supports the positive impact bilingual experience has on preschoolers' ToM understanding. Keywords: theory of mind, bilingualism, preschool.