Manifestations of Social Cognition Deficit in Children with Mental Retardation

The article presents a study of the mental model deficit in preschoolers with mental retardation. The aim of this study using eye tracking is to identify markers that can predict the difficulties of social cognition associated with a deficit in the mental model in children with mental retardation. A comparative study of 64 typically developing preschoolers and preschoolers with mental retardation was carried out. To study the formation of a mental model, the paradigm of understanding false beliefs and experimental situations were used, which actualize in children the idea of the possible success of using and recognizing deception. Additionally, in the experimental situation, the method of registration of eye movement was applied to identify the level of the mental model. It is shown that with a deficiency of the mental model (from the point of view of understanding and applying false beliefs), there is a concreteness of perception, difficulties in using sign-symbolic means of social interaction, inability to suppress impulsive action and act from the position of a social partner. Children with mental retardation often turn not to sign-symbolic means, but to specific external signs of the situation: behavioral manifestations, actions, experience difficulties in distancing themselves from their own beliefs in order to rely in behavior on ideas about the knowledge of an adult. According to the results of an eye tracking study on heat maps of preschoolers with mental retardation, there is a deficiency of a gaze direction detector, which is necessary for understanding the intentions and predicting the actions of an adult. Eye movement analysis confirms that children with mental retardation often do not track the behavior of an adult and his reactions in situations of recognition and application of false actions.