Chaplin, Lan NguyenNorton, Michael2014-11-032014-11-03Chaplin, Lan Nguyen, and Michael I. Norton. "Why We Think We Can't Dance: Theory of Mind and Children's Desire to Perform." Child Development (forthcoming).0009-3920http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:13348077Theory of Mind (ToM) allows children to achieve success in the social world by understanding others' minds. A study with 3–12 year olds, however, demonstrates that gains in ToM are linked to decreases in children's desire to engage in performative behaviors associated with health and well-being—such as singing and dancing. One hundred and fifty nine middle-class children from diverse backgrounds in a northeastern USA metropolitan area completed the study in 2011. The development of ToM is associated with decreases in self-esteem, which in turn predicts decreases in children's willingness to perform. This shift away from performance begins at age 4 (when ToM begins to develop), years before children enter puberty.en-USbehaviorattitudesperformancecognition and thinkingJournal Article2014-11-0310.1111/cdev.12314