ERIC Number: EJ1257120
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2020-May
Pages: 9
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1751-2271
EISSN: N/A
Theory of Mind and Language in Childhood Epilepsy
Bailey, Katharine; Im-Bolter, Nancie
Mind, Brain, and Education, v14 n2 p146-154 May 2020
We examined theory of mind (ToM; mental state understanding) and language in children with epilepsy (EP; n = 10; mean age = 9.92, SD = 2.34) and with typical development (TD; n = 20; mean age = 10.05, SD = 2.08). The EP group demonstrated worse ToM compared to the TD group (t(28) = -1.11, p = 0.28, d = 0.44) but differences did not persist when controlling for language. Syntactic language was correlated with ToM in the EP group (rho (10) = 0.79, p < 0.01). This study confirms language is important for ToM in a group of children with a neurological disorder and indicates that children with epilepsy are at risk for difficulties in understanding the mental states of others due to their language deficits. This may help to explain the social difficulties these children have with their peers.
Descriptors: Theory of Mind, Language Skills, Epilepsy, Children, Syntax, At Risk Persons, Language Impairments, Interpersonal Competence
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
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