Lucille is being tested to determine her ability to distinguish what she thinks from what she sees. She is shown an adult reaching for a ball that is in a basket and not in a box, but then watches as the ball is removed from the basket while the adult is not looking. When the adult reaches for the ball again, Lucille expects the adult to reach into the basket. This awareness of the adult's beliefs about the location of the ball suggests the Lucille is at least ____ years of age.
A) two
B) three
C) four
D) five

Question

Lucille is being tested to determine her ability to distinguish what she thinks from what she sees. She is shown an adult reaching for a ball that is in a basket and not in a box, but then watches as the ball is removed from the basket while the adult is not looking. When the adult reaches for the ball again, Lucille expects the adult to reach into the basket. This awareness of the adult's beliefs about the location of the ball suggests the Lucille is at least ____ years of age.
A) ​two
B) ​three
C) ​four
D) ​five

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This scenario describes a test of theory of mind, specifically the false belief task, which most children are able to understand by the age of three. This indicates that Lucille understands that the adult believes the ball is still in the basket, even though she knows it is not.

Lucille Is Being Tested to Determine Her Ability to Distinguish