Preschool children reason about artists' mental states when naming drawings

This research investigated how 3- to 5-year-old children understand drawings based on mental states, namely knowledge and belief. Results showed that most 3-year-olds understood an artist's knowledge state. Children aged between four and five years showed understanding of false belief. The drawing did not facilitate children's understanding of the artist's mental state, as children were equally successful when naming a drawing or answering a question about the artist's mental state. These results imply that children are able to understand different mental states simultaneously.