What are you thinking, feeling, wanting or intending? Our interest in the mind is recognised by psychologists as a fundamental aspect of human life. Consider the following scenario. If you were to see someone at breakfast time walking over to the kitchen cupboard that usually contains cornflakes, you would probably draw the conclusion that this person wants cornflakes and thinks the box of cornflakes is in that cupboard. What’s more, you would also be able to make these inferences even if you were aware that the cupboard was empty because you had just finished the last of the cornflakes. In other words, you’d understand that this person has a ‘false belief’ — she thinks the box of cornflakes is in the cupboard even though that is not in fact the case.
■ theory of mind
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