不同形式的语言介入对汉语儿童心理理论发展的干预

The Training Effects of Different Linguistic Interference on Young Chinese Children’s Performance on A Theory of Mind Task

为比较语言本身和语言交流的情境过程对儿童心理理论的贡献以及欺骗在此过程中的作用，本研究采用前后测对照实验设计探查了不同形式的语言介入和相关欺骗训练对儿童心理理论发展的影响。选取语言能力达到常模水平但未通过外表－事实区分任务的4岁组儿童77名，随机分为3个训练组和1个对照组，对其进行心理理论和语言能力前测，在各组的两种能力发展水平相当的前提下，对3个训练组分别作如下处理：完全训练组：带有心理状态动词的补语句法及欺骗训练；情境交际组：伴随语言情境交际训练和欺骗训练；补语句法组：心理状态动词和补语句法训练。一周后进行心理理论后测。结果表明，3个训练组与对照组之间在心理理论表现上均有显著差异。相对于一般语言交流的情境过程，补语句法和心理状态动词更能显著提高儿童的心理理论；早期欺骗经历也能促进儿童心理理论的发展，若二者结合使用则更利于儿童心理理论的改进。

Despite the overall consensus that language plays a significant role in development of children’s theory of mind (ToM)， it remains controversial with regard to the particular aspects of language that may play such roles. Astington et al. (1999) and de Villiers (2002) proposed that mental verbs and sentential complement， which provide a necessary format for children to deal with false beliefs， facilitate children’s performance in ToM related tasks. In contrast， Harris (1999) and nelson (2004) emphasized the importance of linguistic interchange process which conveys information that is essential for the development of ToM. Due to the presence of a large number of mental verbs and sentential complement in Chinese language， the purpose of this study was to examine how mental verbs and sentential complement， in comparison to linguistic interchange process， may be relate to development of ToM among Chinese young children. The participants were 77 children (M age = 4 years， 37 girls)， pre-selected based on two criteria: (1) their performance in a standardized language task fell within age-specific norms; and (2) all failed in an appearance-reality task prior to the experiment. Using a pretest-posttest control group design， the children were randomly assigned to three experimental groups (i.e.， sentential complement with mental verb + deception training， situation interchange + deception training， and sentential complement with mental verb training only) and one control group. The ToM posttests were conducted one week after the pretests. The results showed that all the three experimental groups exhibited significantly higher posttest than pretest scores， as well as higher posttest scores than did the control group. The results of ANOVA indicated that the group differences in ToM posttest scores can be largely attributed to the group differences in children’s performance on an appearance- reality task. The comparisons among the three experimental groups showed that the sentential complement with mental verb + deception training group had higher posttest ToM scores than did the other two groups (p < .05)， whereas no differences were found between the situation interchange + deception training group and the sentential complement with mental verb training only group. Compared to linguistic interchange processes， mental verbs and sentential complement in Chinese language may play a stronger role in development of ToM among young children. Early experience of deception may also contribute to development of ToM， suggesting a combination of both mental verbs and sentential complement and deception may maximize the training effect on young Chinese children’s ToM.