Teoria da mente: um estudo com adultos jovens com escolarização normativa e alunos da EJA

Abstract

Theory of mind refers to the capacity for attribution and inference of mental states, be they thoughts, beliefs, intentions or desires, to others and to oneself. The wide knowledge about the emergence and importance of this capacity in childhood contrasts with the reduced number of studies in the adult individual. In this thesis, the objective was to evaluate the theory of mind and the possible influence of differentiated educational experiences of young adults who finished high school by means of a regular education and students of the same age group who took part in the program of Education of Youths and Adults (EYA), in a city in the Zona da Mata Mineira. To this end, four chapters were elaborated. The first describes the theoretical basis necessary for subsequent chapters, including the conceptual-historical contextualization of theory of mind and certain central aspects related to it, such as schooling and language. The second presents a narrative review of the literature by means of a survey of the existing publications that have investigated theory of the mind in adults, based on a search for articles in databases. A scarcity of studies dealing with this age group was noted, the majority focusing on the evaluation of individuals with some neuroclinical impairment, in order to determine any deterioration in this capacity. The third chapter is a theoretical study that aimed to identify and discuss the instruments used in the evaluation of adult theory of mind. The literature indicated tasks that require the interpretation of stories and recognition of emotions and social blunders aimed at this population, but almost all of them arising from adaptations of those created for children, as well as the non-existence of genuinely Brazilian instruments. The fourth chapter presents an empirical study that investigated theory of the mind in young adults who went through different educational experiences. The sample was composed of 250 students, 125 being regular high school students and 125 EYA students. The results obtained in this last study showed that those who attended regular education had a better performance in the tasks of theory of mind in comparison with those who attended the EYA. It was possible to conclude that differences in the educational path of the adult can influence the capacity of attribution of mental states. Lastly, the final considerations of the thesis are presented, indicating the implications of the results of the research carried out for the education of young adults in Brazil and for the area of studies of theory of the mind.