To successfully integrate in social situations, we must be able to understand the mental states of others. Key player in this: Theory of Mind. Sally-Anne task is used to measure theory of mind in children, which most under 4 will fail, as TOM develops as we grow older.
Non-verbal cues can indicate mental states. Another person's gaze can provide important information about their attentional state. Gaze following - the tendency to look in the direction that another person is looking. Infants reliably follow caregivers' head turns within the first year of life (Scaife & Bruner, 1975). Observing shifts of eye gaze by a face presented on a computer screen resulted in faciliated rapid eye movements to the direction of gaze in infants as young as 3 months (Hood et al, 1998).
It is also shown in adults. Adults frequently look at objects being looked at by others (Kuhn et al, 2009). Single cell recordings in monkeys showed that there were cells in the superior temporal sulcus (STS) that are sensitive towards gaze and head direction (Perrett, 1989). STS is involved in integrating eye gaze and mental states in humans too (Pelphery et al, 2003).
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