NAO, I Can Read Your Mind: Preschool-Aged Children Construct Theory of Artificial Mind (ToAM)

Abstract

The successful integration of social robots in education relies on children’s interpretations of robots’ mental states and capabilities. This study investigated the Theory of Mind (ToM) for peers and the Theory of Artificial Mind (ToAM) for robots among 87 children aged 3 to 6 and 21 adults. Using seven well-established ToM paradigms, key components such as desire, belief, knowledge, and emotion were analyzed. The findings reveal: (a) a developmental sequence in children’s construction of ToAM, alongside challenges in understanding false beliefs and emotions; (b) by age 6, children reach a critical phase in ToAM development, approaching adult-level interpretations; and (c) a distinction between ToM and ToAM, with children aged 3 to 6 more likely to project their knowledge and beliefs onto peers than onto humanoid robots like NAO. Overall, this study highlights age-based differences in children’s comprehension of robots’ mental states, illuminating their ToAM in educational contexts requiring cognitive understanding.