TEORIE MYSLI DETÍ V PREDSKOLNÍM VEKU: SOUVISLOST S INSTITUCIONÁLNÍ PÉCÍ A TYPEM VZDELÁVÁNÍ/Theory of mind in children in pre-school age: connection with institutional care and type of education

The paper focuses on the concept of theory of mind and its relationship with the environment in which children grow up. Study 1 examines the relationship between institutional care and theory of mind. Study 2 investigates the relationship between how innovative a nursery is and the level of theory of mind of the children who attend it. The sample consisted of six-years-olds in both studies. In Study 1, children living in children's homes (N = 22) were compared with children living with their own families (N = 33). In Study 2, children (N = 25) who attended traditional nursery schools were compared with children (N = 16) who attended innovative nursery schools. The children were tested using the Scale of Theory of Mind and four subtests of the WISC. In Study 1, the type of care (institutional vs. familial) that children experienced was expected to predict their level of theory of mind. In Study 2, it was hypothesised that children attending innovative nurseries would be more successful in tasks associated with theory of mind for emotions than children attending traditional nurseries. The hypotheses were tested using chi-square tests, t-tests, and linear regression models. In Study 1, the type of care that children experienced was found to predict their level of theory of mind. Children living with their families scored higher on some of the theory of mind tasks than children growing up in children's homes. In Study 2, as predicted, children from the two types of nursery schools differed only in a task which tested theory of mind for emotions; they did not differ in any other task. Based on these results, it is proposed that innovative nurseries do not foster the development of theory of mind per se, but rather the ability to manage emotions. The limitation of the study is that each group of participants was tested by a different researcher. To prevent this from affecting the outcome of the study, tight standardization of administration was employed.