No. 75 · People · Psychology
Theory of Mind
Other people act on what they know and believe, not on what you know.
In the Almanac
“The Sally-Anne test”, 1985 · “Cleveland Clinic”, 2006–2013
Both stories in full, three ways to use it and where it misleads.
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Questions
What is Theory of Mind?
Theory of mind is the ability to recognise that other people have their own beliefs, desires and emotions, and to predict what they will do based on what they know, not what you know. Psychologists test it with tasks like the Sally-Anne false-belief test.
How do you use Theory of Mind?
Use it before important conversations: ask what the other person knows, wants and fears. Explain ideas from your listener's starting point, and treat your guesses about others as hypotheses to check.
When does Theory of Mind matter?
Theory of Mind is one of the 60 mental models for people, the situations where you ask: Why do people act as they do, and how do I work with them? Within that, it belongs to “Understanding people”, alongside Frame of Reference, High Context vs Low Context and Introverts vs Extroverts.
What is an example of Theory of Mind?
Two stories show it at work: The Sally-Anne test (1985) and Cleveland Clinic (2006–2013). Both are told in full in The Mental Models Daily Almanac, which has two stories for each of its 365 models.
Which mental models are related to Theory of Mind?
False Consensus Effect, Blind Spot Bias and Personas. Theory of Mind itself comes from psychology.