Planning with Theory of Mind

Mark K Ho; Rebecca Saxe; Fiery Cushman

doi:10.1016/j.tics.2022.08.003

Planning with Theory of Mind

Trends Cogn Sci. 2022 Nov;26(11):959-971. doi: 10.1016/j.tics.2022.08.003. Epub 2022 Sep 8.

Authors

Mark K Ho¹, Rebecca Saxe², Fiery Cushman³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Computer Science, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA; Department of Psychology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA. Electronic address: mho@princeton.edu.
² Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA.
³ Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.

PMID: 36089494
DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2022.08.003

Abstract

Understanding Theory of Mind should begin with an analysis of the problems it solves. The traditional answer is that Theory of Mind is used for predicting others' thoughts and actions. However, the same Theory of Mind is also used for planning to change others' thoughts and actions. Planning requires that Theory of Mind consists of abstract structured causal representations and supports efficient search and selection from innumerable possible actions. Theory of Mind contrasts with less cognitively demanding alternatives: statistical predictive models of other people's actions, or model-free reinforcement of actions by their effects on other people. Theory of Mind is likely used to plan novel interventions and predict their effects, for example, in pedagogy, emotion regulation, and impression management.

Keywords: Theory of Mind; causal reasoning; goal-directed behavior; planning; social cognition.

Publication types

Review
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

Humans
Models, Statistical
Theory of Mind* / physiology