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How mothers' communication affects children's ability to understand other people
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
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Young children whose mothers tell them more often and in more detail about other people's thoughts and feelings tend to be more sensitive to other people's points of view than other children of the same age.
These are the conclusions reached by scientists from the University of Western Australia in a new study, the results of which were published in the journal Child Development.
"If parents frequently put themselves in other people's shoes when talking to their children, their children are more likely to do the same," says study author Brad Farrant.
To learn more about what helps people develop their ability to accept alternative perspectives, scientists studied how parents interact and talk to their children. The two-year study involved more than 120 Australian children aged 4 to 6 who were just beginning to learn language skills.
During the study, children completed tasks that assessed their language skills, ability to make inferences, and ability to flexibly switch between different points of view. Mothers reported on the types of communication they used with their children.
The researchers found that mothers who spoke more frequently and in greater detail about people, thoughts, and feelings, commenting on how another person might react to a particular situation as well as their own feelings about the situation, had children with better language and intellectual skills. This suggests that this type of maternal communication influences children’s development of language skills, cognitive flexibility, and the ability to take another’s point of view.
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