Relations Between Understanding Of Intention And Executive Function In Young Children

This study aimed to discuss the possible difference between "knowing/not knowing question" and "predict question "of unexpected transfer task and the relation between these two questions and executive function tasks. Also we test the relation between the ability to understand intentional action and executive function tasks. The unexpected transfer task, the knee-jerk reflex task and two executive function tasks (Dimensional Change Card Sorting Test and hand game) were given to 69 children aged 3, 4 and 5 years old. The results showed that there is a significant difference between "knowing/not knowing question" and "predict question ".These two questions may reflect children's different developmental level of TOM. the relationship between DCCS task , the knee-jerk reflex task and the "knowing/not knowing question" are so strong even after age and verbal intelligence are partialled out. We suppose that they have common component.