Is attributing mental states to the dead learned or innate, according to the material?

• A. There is an innate component; Kindergarteners are more likely to attribute mental states to the dead than other children
• B. It is learned and strengthens with enculturation
• C. There is no innate component
• D. Everyone always attributes mental states to the dead

Answer: (A)

The idea being tested is whether attributing mental states to others, even to the dead, is driven by an innate bias or is something learned through culture. According to the material, there is an innate component, as shown by kindergarteners being more likely than other children to attribute mental states to the dead. This early presence of the tendency suggests a built-in predisposition in how humans think about minds, which can then be shaped or reinforced by enculturation over time. If it were purely learned, you wouldn’t expect this early and relatively strong inclination in young children. If there were no innate component, the early emergence in young children wouldn’t occur, and the claim that everyone always attributes mental states to the dead would be an overgeneralization unsupported by evidence.