ABSTRACT
A young child must have some understanding of mind, however primitive, in order to learn language and use it appropriately in communication. The starting point is not verbal but nonverbal communication, especially involving what babies infer from the direction of gaze. A common-sense interpretation of this intriguing phenomenon is that infants are aware of various perspectives upon reality. One possible explanation for young children’s failure to use the word “think” in a contrastive way is that they have some trouble with the underlying concept of belief as distinct from reality. Perhaps children have greater difficulty with the concept of belief, as reflected in their early language, because belief implies a contrast. The work of Judy Dunn and colleagues has made considerable advances in our understanding of how early communication supports the development of an understanding of mind.
