Under 'people' in core knowledge theory, what developmental milestone is described?

• A. Theory of mind at 2-5 years
• B. Present at birth
• C. Emerges in adolescence
• D. None of the above

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is how children come to understand other people as intentional beings with thoughts and goals—theory of mind within the people domain of core knowledge theory. In this framework, infants and toddlers are thought to have an innate social cognition module that starts sensing that others have desires and goals and that these guide actions. The significant milestone is that this understanding of mental states—the ability to attribute beliefs, desires, and intentions to others—develops in early childhood, typically within the 2 to 5 year window. By around age 4, children often demonstrate true theory of mind by recognizing that others can hold beliefs different from reality, as shown in false-belief tasks. This timeline fits the description for the people domain, making the statement about theory of mind developing between 2 and 5 years the best fit. The other options don’t align with the established developmental window: belief attribution isn’t present at birth, it doesn’t emerge in adolescence, and there is indeed a valid milestone in that 2–5 year period.