Parenting and Theory of Mind

Scott Miller, PhD, is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Psychology at the University of Florida. He was a faculty member in Psychology at the University of Michigan prior to joining the University of Florida's Psychology Department. Dr. Miller is a member of the Cognitive Development Society, the Jean Piaget Society, and the Society for Research in Child Development and a Fellow of the American Psychological Association and the Association for Psychological Science. His research has examined various aspects of cognitive development in young children, and his current research focus is on the development of theory of mind during the preschool and grade-school years.

• Chapter 1: IntroductionChapter 2: Theory of MindChapter 3: Parenting Chapter 4: General Aspects of Parenting and Theory of MindChapter 5: AttachmentChapter 6: Developments in InfancyChapter 7: Parental TalkChapter 8: Parents' BeliefsChapter 9: Experimental ApproachesChapter 10: ConclusionsReferencesAuthor IndexSubject Index

"All too often, methods, interests, and theory create an artificial divide between our understanding of cognitive and social developments. Scott Miller's lucid and readable book, Parenting and Theory of Mind, handsomely and thoughtfully overcomes any such divide. His coverage of theory of mind is expert; his use of theory of mind to tell us about how parents influence children's understanding of minds specifically, and influence their social cognitionplus social actions more broadly, is terrific. I learned a lot-both about what is known and what remains to be discovered." --Henry M. Wellman, PhD, Harold W. Stevenson Collegiate Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Michigan"Miller gives us a highly readable, state-of-the-art review and commentary on relations between parenting and theory of mind. His writing is beautifully lucid and concise. The summaries and commentaries, integrating a huge body of research, provide an excellent overall perspective on the issues involved. The book will be an invaluable resource for researchers, clinicians, and students." --Janet Wilde Astington, PhD, Professor Emerita, University of Toronto"In Parenting and Theory of Mind, Scott Miller examines the intersection of two of the most extensive and significant research literatures in developmental psychology. Miller's thoughtful analysis illuminates numerous ways in which parents influence children's developing understanding of mind and, in turn, the myriad achievements generated by a mind-minded construal of others." --Karen Bartsch, PhD, Professor and Head, Psychology Department, University of Wyoming"This book provides a clear, thorough, and up-to-date review of the multiple interrelated literatures that span the growing field of parenting and theory of mind. The careful treatment of methods and measurements, the placement of specific findings into broad narratives, and the authoritative summations of large literatures will be greatly appreciated by advanced students and researchers. This book will be indispensable for anyone wishing to learn how one ofthe central challenges of cognitive development-coming to understand the mind-is impacted by what parents say and do." --Derek Montgomery, PhD, Professor, Department of Psychology, Bradley University"Parenting and Theory of Mind provides a thorough review of the literature on the relation between parenting and children's social understanding. Bringing together research and theory concerning social and cognitive development during infancy and childhood, Scott Miller addresses a central question regarding the development of social cognition: where does children's theory of mind come from? Miller's analysis of theoretical and methodological issuesis clear and insightful. His book provides a valuable examination of a growing body of research regarding social influences on social cognitive development." --Bradford H. Pillow, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University