The Relationship Between Children’s Theory of Mind and Anxiety Symptoms

Objective: The relationship between preschool children’s theory of mind (ToM) and anxiety symptoms is theoretically crucial and practically applicable. While ToM and anxiety play crucial roles in social interactions, their effects are often opposites. This study aims to examine the relationship between ToM skills and anxiety in typically developing preschoolers. Methods: Data were collected from the parents of ۹۳ Iranian children (۵۰ boys and ۴۳ girls) aged ۴ to ۱۰ between ۲۰۲۲ and ۲۰۲۳.The parents filled out the children’s social understanding scale (CSUS) and the parent-version of the Spence children’s anxiety scale (SCAS-P).  Results: The results indicated a significant relationship between some aspects of TOM, such as emotion, perception, belief, knowledge, and anxiety symptoms.  Conclusion: These elements of TOM were reliable indicators of anxiety symptoms in typically developing preschoolers.

کلیدواژه ها:

Social cognition ، Theory of mind (ToM) ، Emotion ، Anxiety ، Preschooler