Theory of Mind (TOM) is an ability to simulate mental activities, attribute intention, and predict behaviors of others.
According to Ickes’s study (1990), there are strong correlation between empathy and TOM. However, whether they have any
causal-effect relationship is still unclear. It is possible to differentiate the two processes from a developmental perspective
since TOM ability develops later than empathy. This study aimed to study the influence of empathy on TOM processes. In the
experiment (N=28), 4-year-olds children received a traditional false belief task first; and then after a week, they were divided
into two different empathic situations: bullying condition and bully-victim condition. The study found a trend that the TOM
score is lower in the bullying condition but higher in the bully-victim condition compared to the baseline condition despite of
the insufficient subjects. It suggests that empathic states indeed impact TOM processing.