Assessment of theory of mind skills in children with mild intellectual disabilities within the framework of social learning theory

Abstract

Objective: The effect of Social Learning Theory on the Theory of Mind skill of children with mild intellectual disabilities was examined. The working group of this research consists of 30 children who continue their education in a private education institution in Beyoglu District of Istanbul Province in the 2019-2020 academic year. A total of 30 children, 15 in the expe-rimental group and 15 in the control group, were included in the study. Method: The study group of the research was conducted as a quasi-experimental, since it could not be chosen objectively to form par-ticipants with equal initial conditions. The research was designed as Pre-Test and Post-Test Unequaled Groups according to the control group model. Social Learning Theory was applied to children with mild mental disabilities in the experimental group for eight weeks, in a total of 16 sessions. As a data collection tool in the study, Unexpected Content Change, First Order False Mind Attribution Task and Second Order False Consideration Attribution Task were used in the Theory of Mind (ToM) measurements. Results: The statistically significant difference was found in favor of the experimental group between the total scores of the posttest theory of mind tests of children with mild mental disability in the experimental and control groups. Mild mental disability children in the experi-mental group were found to be statistically signifi-cantly higher than the post-test unexpected content change, first-order misconception attribution and second-order false belief attribution test pre-test scores. Conclusion: The results of the study, Social Learning Theory has a positive effect on the theory of mind of children with mild intellectual disabilities.