Analogical comparison has been found to promote learning
across many conceptual domains. Here, we ask whether this
mechanism can facilitate children’s understanding of others’
mental states. In Experiment 1, children carried out
comparisons between characters’ thoughts and reality and
between characters with true beliefs vs. those with false
beliefs. Children given this training improved from pre- to
post-test. In Experiment 2, we used a more minimal
comparison technique. Children saw a series of three stories
involving true or false beliefs. There were two betweensubjects
conditions that either facilitated (High Alignability)
or impeded (Low Alignability) comparison across stories. We
found that children made more gains from pre- to post-test in
the High Alignability condition than in the Low Alignability
condition. We also found effects of production of mental state
verbs, as assessed in an Elicitation Task. These results
provide evidence for the role of analogical comparison in
theory of mind development.