Many studies have examined theory of mind (ToM) abilities in adolescence, but none appears to have tested them in real interactive settings. To address this gap, we assessed advanced ToM abilities using a referential communication task in which pairs of participants had to order unfamiliar and abstract figures without seeing each other. Although some gender differences emerged among the youngest adolescents, the decreasing use of indefinite markers across trials suggests that advanced ToM abilities are already present at the onset of adolescence, from the age of 11, and that adolescents, like adults, benefit from their interlocutor’s feedback during conversation.
Images adapted from
Clara Grégoire, Stéphane Rauzy & Maud Champagne-Lavau.
Development of Advanced Theory of Mind Abilities During Adolescence:
Prosocial Behavior and Presence of a Real Interlocutor Matter
In Journal of Adolescence, 2026 – @HAL