读心的比较研究：非人灵长类与人类在心理理论上的异同点及其解释

利用非人灵长类开展比较研究是探索心理理论本质、起源和进化动因的重要途经。大量实证研究显示非人灵长类可以表现出一些基础心理理论成分, 包括联合注意、意图理解和一级观点采择, 这表明心理理论在灵长类动物的进化谱系中具有进化连续性。然而, 非人灵长类无法像人类一样达成二级观点采择和错误信念理解, 潜心智化假说、替代表征假说、最小限度心理理论假说和意识关系假说试图对此差异进行解释。尽管视角与具体内容不同, 但这些假说都强调, 非人灵长类无法对其他个体关于外部世界的心理信念形成表征, 信念表征是非人灵长类与人类读心能力的重要分界点。未来研究需要重点澄清共享意图、语言机制以及社会生态环境因素与心理理论产生的相互影响作用。

Comparative studies of mind reading: Similarities and differences in theory of mind between non-human primates and humans and corresponding explanations

Theory of mind refers to the ability of individuals to speculate about other people's mental states and make causal explanations for their behaviors. Comparative studies using non-human primates is an important way to explore the essence, origin and evolution of theory of mind. This article reviews a large number of empirical studies and demonstrate that nonhuman primates exhibit some basic theory of mind components, including joint attention, goal understanding and level-1 perspective-taking. Nonhuman primates can follow or attract the attention of other individuals, understand the behavior of other individuals based on potential goals and intentions, and judge whether other individuals perceive something from their perspective.