Multidimensional approach of theory of mind in healthy aging

Theory of Mind (ToM), the ability to infer mental states, includes multiple dimensions: the nature of mental states (i.e. cognitive and affective), level of recursive reasoning, and decoding-reasoning processes. Because previous studies have used diverse methodologies and have often focused on only one dimension of ToM, it remains difficult to draw clear conclusions about potential age-related effects. The aim of this study was to jointly assess the different dimensions of ToM and error type in the attribution of mental states during normal aging with validated tests conventionally used in research and clinical practice. Fifty-four young adults (18-40 years, <i>M</i> = 25.4 years, SD = 6.91), 53 middle-aged adults (41-60 years, <i>M</i> = 50.4 years, SD = 4.95) and 56 older adults (61-82 years, <i>M</i> = 70.4 years, SD = 5.13) were recruited. The different ToM dimensions were assessed with <i>TOM-15</i> (i.e. cognitive ToM and recursive reasoning level), <i>Picture of Facial Affect Test</i> (i.e. affective ToM and decoding), <i>Faux-pas task</i> (i.e. cognitive and affective ToM and decoding-reasoning level) <i>and the Movie for the Assessment of Social Cognition</i> (i.e. cognitive and affective ToM as well as the type of ToM error). The analysis showed a progressive age-related effect across all ToM dimensions, although the direction and magnitude of these effects varied depending on the contextual demands involved. These results align with our hypothesis, indicating that adults experience progressively greater difficulties in understanding and predicting others' behaviors. A multidimensional ToM assessment could better inform interventions tailored to the cognitive and affective social needs of older people.