Abstract: Noting that none of the small number of studies examining false belief performance in low-income children has addressed cultural practices that may help or hinder children's grasp of mental states, this study examined false beliefs from a cultural context, using an ethnically diverse low-income Head Start preschool population. Participating in the study were 36 black and 36 white preschool children with an average age of 53 months. Fifteen of the black children and 18 of the white children were enrolled in Head Start, and the remainder in a non-Head Start program. Children were given a false beliefs task embedded within a narrative: they were shown a wordless picture book, asked to look at the pictures, make up their own story, and listen to the experimenter's story. Afterward, children were asked forced-choice questions about the character's thoughts and the story. Analysis of covariance using language scores as the covariate revealed that black children scored significantly higher on two of the three questions asked. Findings suggested that black children's cultural experience with storytelling contributed to their success in answering questions about a character's beliefs within a narrative context. (Contains 13 references.) (KB)

Title: The Role of Narratives in Low-Income, Black Children's False Belief Performance.
Author: Curenton, Stephanie M.; Wilson, Melvin N.; Lillard, Angeline S.
Note: Paper presented at the Head Start National Research Conference (5th, Washington, DC, June 28-July 1, 2000).
Page Length: 10
Publication Year: 2000
Document Type: Research Report (143); Conference Paper (150)
Target Audience: Parents
ERIC Identifier: ED443580
Clearinghouse Identifier: PS028743
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Descriptors: Black Youth; * Cognitive Development; * Cultural Differences; Low Income Groups; Performance Factors; * Preschool Children; Preschool Education; Racial Differences; Story Telling; Whites

Identifiers: *False Beliefs; *Narrative Text; Project Head Start; Theory of Mind