Gedik TA, De la Garza Espinosa V, Dabrowska E (2026)
Publication Type: Journal article
Publication year: 2026
Original Authors: Tan Arda Gedik, Vania De la Garza, Ewa Dabrowska
Book Volume: 21
Pages Range: e0357313
Issue: 9
Journal Issue: 9
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0357313
The vast majority of research on false-belief understanding has been conducted with literate populations. However, to our knowledge, no prior study has examined how literacy acquisition itself influences false-belief reasoning. The development of false-belief understanding is shaped by a range of factors, including language skills, education, reading experience, and cognitive abilities. Illiterate speakers often show substantial variability in language skills and cognitive abilities. In this study, we investigated the impact of nonverbal IQ, inhibitory control, and reading fluency on false-belief understanding in adult native Turkish speakers, comparing literate and illiterate participants. We found considerable individual differences in false-belief performance across both groups, as well as in the cognitive measures. Strikingly, reading fluency (assessed via a 1-minute timed word-reading task) emerged as the most significant predictor of false-belief performance, accounting for 49% of the variance. We propose that literacy acquisition may support the development of false-belief reasoning by enhancing language skills, cognitive control, metalinguistic awareness, and perspective-taking through engagement with written narratives. These findings carry broader implications for psychology, linguistics, and adult education.
APA:
Gedik, T.A., De la Garza Espinosa, V., & Dabrowska, E. (2026). Literacy predicts performance on a second-order false-belief task. PLoS ONE, 21(9), e0357313. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0357313
MLA:
Gedik, Tan Arda, Vania De la Garza Espinosa, and Ewa Dabrowska. "Literacy predicts performance on a second-order false-belief task." PLoS ONE 21.9 (2026): e0357313.
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