Mindreading, Mentalizing and Social Understanding

Devine, R.T., Grumley Traynor, I., Ronchi, L. & Lecce, S. (2024). Children in ethnically diverse classrooms and those with cross-ethnic friendships excel at understanding others’ minds. Child Development, DOI: 10.1111/cdev.14085.

Lecce, S., Ronchi, L., & Devine, R.T. (2024). The effect of peers’ theory of mind on children’s own theory of mind development: A longitudinal study in middle childhood and early adolescence. To appear in Developmental Psychology.

Pomareda, C., Devine, R.T. & Apperly, I.A. (2024). Mindreading quality versus quantity: A theoretically motivated two-factor structure for individual differences in adults’ mindreading. PLOS One, 19, e0305270.

Yeung, E.K.L., Apperly, I.A. & Devine, R.T. (2024). Measures of individual differences in adult theory of mind: A systematic review. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 157, 105481.

Devine, R.T., Kovatchev, V., Grumley Traynor, I., Smith, P. & Lee, M. (2023). Machine learning and deep learning systems for automated measurement of ‘advanced’ theory of mind: Reliability and validity in children and adolescents. Psychological Assessment, 35, 165-177. [OSF Page for project]

Foley, S., Devine, R.T., & Hughes, C. (2023). Mind-mindedness in new mothers and fathers: Stability and discontinuity from pregnancy to toddlerhood. Developmental Psychology, 59, 128-140.

Lecce, S., Ronchi, L. & Devine, R.T. (2022). Mind what teacher says: Teachers’ propensity for mental-state language and children’s theory of mind in middle childhood. Social Development, 31, 303-318.

Devine, R.T. & Apperly, I.A. (2022). Willing and able? Theory of mind, social motivation, and social competence in middle childhood and early adolescence. Developmental Science, 25, e13137.

Van der Kleij, S.W., Apperly, I.A., Shapiro, L.R., Ricketts, J. & Devine, R.T. (2022). Reading fiction and reading minds in early adolescence: A longitudinal study. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 222, 105476.

Lecce, S. & Devine, R.T. (2022). Theory of mind at school: Academic outcomes and the influence of school context. Infant and Child Development, 31, e2274.

Fujita, N., Devine, R.T. & Hughes, C. (2022). Theory of mind and executive function in early childhood: A cross-cultural investigation. Cognitive Development, 61, 101150.

Devine, R.T. & Lecce, S. (2021). Theory of Mind in Middle Childhood and Adolescence: Integrating Multiple Perspectives. Routledge. ISBN 978-0-429-32689-9

Lecce, S., & Devine, R. T. (2021). Social Interaction in Early and Middle Childhood: The role of theory of mind. In H.J. Ferguson & E.E.F. Bradford (Eds.), The Cognitive Basis of Social Interaction Across the Lifespan. Oxford University Press.

Białekca-Pikul, M., Stępień-Nycz, M., Szpak, M., Grygiel, P., Bosacki, S., Devine, R.T., & Hughes, C. (2021). Theory of mind and peer attachment in adolescence. Journal of Research on Adolescence. DOI: 10.1111/jora.12630

Hughes, C. & Devine, R.T. (2020). Learning to Read Minds: A Synthesis of Social and Cognitive Perspectives. In D. Whitebread, V. Grau, K. Kumpulainen, M.M. McClelland, N.E. Perry, & D. Pino-Pasternak (Eds.), The SAGE Handbook of Developmental Psychology and Early Childhood Education (pp. 169-183). SAGE Publications Ltd.

Hughes, C., Devine, R.T., & Wang, Z. (2018). Does Parental Mind‐Mindedness Account for Cross‐Cultural Differences in Preschoolers’ Theory of Mind? Child Development, 89(4), 1296–1310.

Lecce, S., Bianco, F., Devine, R. T., & Hughes, C. (2017). Relations between theory of mind and executive function in middle childhood: A short-term longitudinal study. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 163, 69–86.

Wang, Z., Devine, R. T., Wong, K. K., & Hughes, C. (2016). Theory of mind and executive function during middle childhood across cultures. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 149, 6–22.

Devine, R.T. (2016). Theory of Mind. In V. Zeigler-Hill & T. K. Shackelford (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences (pp. 1–9). Springer International Publishing.

Hughes, C. & Devine, R.T. (2015). A Social Perspective on Theory of Mind. In M.E. Lamb & R. Lerner (Eds.), Handbook of Child Psychology and Developmental Science: Socio-emotional processes (pp. 564–609). Wiley.

Hughes, C. & Devine, R.T. (2015). Individual Differences in Theory of Mind From Preschool to Adolescence: Achievements and Directions. Child Development Perspectives, 9(3), 149–153.

Lecce, S., Bianco, F., Devine, R. T., Hughes, C., & Banerjee, R. (2014). Promoting theory of mind during middle childhood: A training program. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 126, 52–67.

Devine, R.T. & Hughes, C. (2013). Silent Films and Strange Stories: Theory of Mind, Gender, and Social Experiences in Middle Childhood. Child Development, 84(3), 989–1003.

Executive Function and Self-Regulation

Hughes, C., Foley, S., Browne, W., McHarg, G., & Devine, R.T. (2023). Developmental links between executive function and emotion regulation in early toddlerhood. Infant Behaviour and Development, 71, 101782.

Ribner, A., Devine, R.T., Blair, C. & Hughes, C. (2022). Mothers’ and fathers’ executive function both predict emergent executive function in toddlerhood. Developmental Science, e13263.

Li, W., Devine, R.T., Ribner, A., Emmen, R.A., Woudstra, M.J., Branger, M.C.E., Wang, L., van Ginkel, J.R., Alink, L.R., & Mesman, J. (2022). The role of infant attention and parental sensitivity in infant cognitive development in the Netherlands and China. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 215, 105324.

McHarg, G., Ribner, A. D., Devine, R.T., & Hughes, C. (2020). Screen Time and Executive Function in Toddlerhood: A Longitudinal Study. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 9.

McHarg, G., Ribner, A. D., Devine, R. T., Hughes, C., & The NewFAMS Study Team. (2020). Infant screen exposure links to toddlers’ inhibition, but not other EF constructs: A propensity score study. Infancy, 25(2), 205–222.

Devine, R.T., Ribner, A., & Hughes, C. (2019). Measuring and Predicting Individual Differences in Executive Functions at 14 Months: A Longitudinal Study. Child Development, 90(5), 618–636.

Hughes, C. & Devine, R.T. (2019). For Better or for Worse? Positive and Negative Parental Influences on Young Children’s Executive Function. Child Development, 90(2), 593–609.

Hughes, C. & Devine, R.T. (2017). Parental influences on children’s executive function: A differentiated approach. In J. Karbach & S.A. Wiebe (Eds.), Executive Function: Development Across the Life Span. Routledge.

Devine, R.T. & Hughes, C. (2014). Relations Between False Belief Understanding and Executive Function in Early Childhood: A Meta-Analysis. Child Development, 85(5), 1777–1794.

Contextual Influences on Child Development

Foley, S., Devine, R.T. & Hughes, C. (2023). Mind-mindedness in new mothers and fathers: Stability and discontinuity from pregnancy to toddlerhood. Developmental Psychology, 59, 128 - 140.

Hughes, C., Devine, R.T., Mesman, J., & Blair, C. (2020). Understanding the terrible twos: A longitudinal investigation of the impact of early executive function and parent–child interactions. Developmental Science, 23(6), e12979.

Chan, M. H., Wang, Z., Devine, R. T., & Hughes, C. (2020). Parental mental-state talk and false belief understanding in Hong Kong children. Cognitive Development, 55, 100926.

Devine, R.T. & Hughes, C. (2019). Let’s Talk: Parents’ Mental Talk (Not Mind‐Mindedness or Mindreading Capacity) Predicts Children’s False Belief Understanding. Child Development, 90(4), 1236–1253.

Devine, R.T. & Hughes, C. (2018). Family Correlates of False Belief Understanding in Early Childhood: A Meta-Analysis. Child Development, 89(3), 971–987.

Hughes, C., Lindberg, A., & Devine, R.T. (2018). Autonomy support in toddlerhood: Similarities and contrasts between mothers and fathers. Journal of Family Psychology, 32(7), 915–925.

Hughes, C. & Devine, R.T. (2016). Family influences on theory of mind: A review. In V. Slaughter & M. DeRosnay (Eds.), Theory of Mind Development in Context (pp. 41–56). Routledge.

Ensor, R., Devine, R. T., Marks, A., & Hughes, C. (2014). Mothers’ Cognitive References to 2-Year-Olds Predict Theory of Mind at Ages 6 and 10. Child Development, 85(3), 1222–1235.

Social-Emotional Skills and Academic Achievement

Dempsey, C., Devine, R.T., Symonds, J., Sloan, S., & Hughes, C. (2024). Interacting adult-child relationships and school adjustment: Findings from growing up in Ireland. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 92, 101653.

Dempsey, C., Devine, R.T., Fink, E. & Hughes, C. (2023). Developmental links between wellbeing, self-concept, and prosocial behaviour in early primary school. British Journal of Educational Psychology.

Ribner, A., Coulanges, L., Friedman, S., Libertus, M.E., Hughes, C., Foley, S., Devine, R.T., Fink, E., Selby, A., Brocki, K., Frick, M., & Badinlou, F. (2021). Screen time in the Coronavirus Era: International trends of increasing use among 3- to 7-year-old children. Journal of Pediatrics, 239, 59-66.

Hughes, C., White, N., Foley, S., & Devine, R. T. (2018). Family support and gains in school readiness: A longitudinal study. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 88(2), 284–299.

Hughes, C., Foley, S., White, N., & Devine, R.T. (2018). School readiness in children with special educational needs and disabilities: Psychometric findings from a new screening tool, the Brief Early Skills, and Support Index. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 88(4), 606–627.

Devine, R. T., Bignardi, G. & Hughes, C. (2016). Executive Function Mediates the Relations between Parental Behaviors and Children’s Early Academic Ability. Frontiers in Psychology, 7, 15.

Devine, R.T., White, N., Ensor, R., & Hughes, C. (2016). Theory of mind in middle childhood: Longitudinal associations with executive function and social competence. Developmental Psychology, 52(5), 758–771.

Mental Health and Neurodiversity

Todorov, J.J., … Devine, R.T. & De Brito, S. (2024). Maltreatment and parenting in youth with primary and secondary callous-unemotional traits: Anxiety matters. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry: Advances, e12266, https://doi.org/10.1002/jcv2.12266

Apperly, I.A., Lee, R., Van Der Klein, S.W., & Devine, R.T. (2024). A transdiagnostic approach to neurodiversity in a representative population sample: The N + 4 model. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry: Advances, e12219, https://doi.org/10.1002/jcv2.12219

Marlow, K., Agar, G., Jones, C., Devine, R.T., & Richards, C. (2024). The prevalence and correlates of self-restraint in individuals with autism and/or intellectual disability: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, https://doi.org/10.1007/s40489-024-00450-5

Chi, Z., Devine, R.T., Wolstencroft, J., Skuse, D., Hughes, C., & Baker, K. (2024). Intellectual disability and parents’ mental health within the IMAGINE cohort study: How and when does genetic diagnosis matter? Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases, 19, 70, https://doi.org/10.1186/s13023-024-03076-2

Todorov, J., Devine, R.T. & De Brito, S. (2023). Association between childhood maltreatment and callous-unemotional traits in youth: A meta-analysis. Neuroscience and Biobehavioural Reviews, 146, 105049 [Pre-Registration Here].

Baker, K., Devine, R.T., Ng-Cordell, E., & Raymond, F. L. (2021). Childhood intellectual disability and parents’ mental health: Integrating social, psychological and genetic influences. British Journal of Psychiatry, 218(6), 315-322.

Hughes, C., Devine, R.T., Mesman, J., Blair, C. (2020). Parental well-being, couple relationship quality, and children’s behavioral problems in the first 2 years of life. Development and Psychopathology, 32(3), 935–944.

Hughes, C., Foley, S., Devine, R. T., Ribner, A., Kyriakou, L., Boddington, L., & Holmes, E. A. (2020). Worrying in the wings? Negative emotional birth memories in mothers and fathers show similar associations with perinatal mood disturbance and delivery mode. Archives of Women’s Mental Health, 23(3), 371–377.

McIntyre, N. S., Oswald, T. M., Solari, E. J., Zajic, M. C., Lerro, L. E., Hughes, C., Devine, R. T., & Mundy, P. C. (2018). Social cognition and Reading comprehension in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders or typical development. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 54, 9–20.

Modelling, Measurement and Methods

Kovatchev, V., Smith, P., Lee, M., & Devine, R.T. (2021). Can vectors read minds better than experts? Comparing data augmentation strategies for the automated scoring of children’s mindreading ability. Proceedings of the 59th Annual Meeting of the Association for Computational Linguistics and the 11th International Joint Conference on Natural Language Processing, 1196 - 1206.

Kovatchev, V., Smith, P., Lee, M., Traynor, I. G., Aguilera, I. L., & Devine, R.T. (2020). “What is on your mind?” Automated Scoring of Mindreading in Childhood and Early Adolescence. Proceedings of the 28th International Conference on Computational Linguistics (CoLING 2020), 12.

Hughes, C., T. Devine, R.T., Foley, S., D. Ribner, A., Mesman, J., & Blair, C. (2020). Couples becoming parents: Trajectories for psychological distress and buffering effects of social support. Journal of Affective Disorders, 265, 372–380.

Devine, R.T. (2017). Longitudinal and cross-sectional designs. In B. Hopkins, E. Geangu, & S. Linkenauger (Eds.), The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Child Development (2nd ed., pp. 156–159). Cambridge University Press; Cambridge Core.

Devine, R.T. & Hughes, C. (2016). Measuring theory of mind across middle childhood: Reliability and validity of the Silent Films and Strange Stories tasks. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 149, 23–40.

Hughes, C., Daly, I., Foley, S., White, N., & Devine, R.T. (2015). Measuring the foundations of school readiness: Introducing a new questionnaire for teachers - The Brief Early Skills and Support Index (BESSI). British Journal of Educational Psychology, 85(3), 332–356.

Hughes, C., Devine, R.T., Ensor, R., Koyasu, M., Mizokawa, A., & Lecce, S. (2014). Lost in Translation? Comparing British, Japanese, and Italian Children’s Theory-of-Mind Performance. Child Development Research, 2014, 1–10.