At what age do children come to realize that other individuals have their own thoughts and emotions?

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

Let's break down the question and the options with careful consideration of child development concepts.
Option 1: 'age 2' — At around age 2, children are beginning to develop basic theory of mind, but understanding that others have separate thoughts and emotions is not yet reliably established. They may imitate or respond to others' emotions, but the realization that someone else has a distinct perspective comes later.
Option 2: 'age 4 or 5' — This is the period when many children start to pass basic theory-of-mind tasks, such as understanding that others can hold false beliefs or have different desires. They begin to recognize that other people have their own thoughts and feelings, which aligns with standard developmental milestones in early childhood.
Option 3: 'ages 8-10' — By this stage, children have well-developed theory of mind and can reason about perspectives more flexibly, but the foundational recognition of others’ distinct thoughts and emotions typically emerges earlier, around preschool years. This option describes a later maturation rather than the initial realization.
Option 4: 'in the early teenage years' — This period involves more complex social cognition and metacognition, but the basic realization that others have their own thoughts and emotions is usually evident much earlier, not first appearing in adolescence.
In summary, the question targets the onset of understanding that others possess independent thoughts and feelings. The preschool years are when this realization becomes noticeable, while earlier ages lack consistent demonstration, and later ages reflect more advanced theory-of-mind development. Therefore, Option 2 best corresponds to the developmental milestone in question.

CMN 010V A01 FQ 2025 Exam 2 (on Canvas/proctored by Honorlock)

At what age do children come to realize that other individuals have their own thoughts and emotions?

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