On the relation between theory of mind and executive functioning: A developmental cognitive neuroscience perspective

Wade, Mark; Prime, Heather; Jenkins, Jennifer M.; Yeates, Keith Owen; Williams, Tricia S.; Lee, Kang · 2018 · OpenAlex-citations

DOI: 10.3758/s13423-018-1459-0

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Summary

This theoretical review examines the developmental relationship between theory of mind (ToM) and executive functioning (EF) through a cognitive neuroscience lens. ToM involves understanding psychological states like beliefs and intentions, while EF encompasses goal-directed processes such as inhibitory control and working memory. The authors evaluate three competing hypotheses regarding their functional overlap: (1) EF supports ToM development (EF→ToM); (2) ToM supports EF development (ToM→EF); and (3) both abilities share a common neural basis (ToM↔EF). The review synthesizes evidence from normative brain development, neurodevelopmental disorders, patient lesion studies, and neuroimaging to determine which model best explains their interrelatedness. The analysis of normative development highlights that prefrontal regions, critical for both ToM and EF, mature later than sensory areas. Resting-state functional connectivity studies reveal that the default mode network (DMN), linked to ToM, establishes connections earlier than the frontoparietal and salience networks, which are associated with EF. However, increasing integration between these networks during early childhood suggests complex cross-talk rather than simple precedence. Evidence from clinical populations further complicates directional claims. For instance, children with autism often exhibit intact EF despite severe ToM deficits, challenging the EF→ToM hypothesis. Conversely, individuals with Prader-Willi or Williams syndromes may show EF impairments with preserved ToM, contradicting the ToM→EF hypothesis. Studies of traumatic brain injury and neurodegenerative diseases demonstrate that ToM and EF can be independently impaired or preserved, indicating that deficits in one do not strictly necessitate deficits in the other. The authors conclude that a strict version of the ToM↔EF proposal, positing complete neural overlap, is ruled out by existing evidence. Instead, the balance of data supports a model where separable neurobiological mechanisms underlie ToM and EF, supported by shared domain-general processing networks. The review emphasizes that current behavioral and neuroimaging studies often lack the longitudinal designs necessary to definitively map cognitive emergence onto neural trajectories. Consequently, the authors advocate for future biobehavioral research that simultaneously tracks brain structure, functional connectivity, and cognitive performance over time to clarify the specific neural substrates and directional influences governing the co-development of ToM and EF.

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• executive function