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Modularity, Theory of Mind, and Autism Spectrum Disorder

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2022

Marcus P. Adams
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Abstract

The theory of mind (ToM) deficit associated with autism spectrum disorder has been a central topic in the debate about the modularity of the mind. In a series of papers, Philip Gerrans and Valerie Stone argue that positing a ToM module does not best explain the deficits exhibited by individuals with autism. In this article, I first criticize Gerrans and Stone's account. Second, I discuss various studies of individuals with autism and argue that they are best explained by positing a higher-level, domain-specific ToM module.

Type
Research Article
Information
Philosophy of Science , Volume 78 , Issue 5 , December 2011 , pp. 763 - 773
Copyright
Copyright © The Philosophy of Science Association

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Footnotes

‡

I wish to thank Edouard Machery and Arthur Falk for extensive comments on a draft of this article. Also, I thank Philip Gerrans for his feedback, Shannon Bernard-Adams for many conversations about clinical practice and Autism Spectrum Disorder, and the audience at the 2010 PSA meeting in Montréal.

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