On the inherent yet dynamic link between metaphor and Theory of Mind in middle childhood: meta-analytic evidence from a research programme bridging experimental pragmatics and developmental psychology

We present the outcome of a decade-long research programme targeting the relationship between individual differences in metaphor skills and Theory of Mind (ToM), based on the use of the Physical and Mental Metaphors (PMM) task alongside the Strange Stories task in neurotypical children throughout middle childhood. A meta-analysis conducted on our published and unpublished articles, including 500 children aged 8–12 years, showed that metaphor and ToM are significantly associated, even when controlling for vocabulary. This association peaks around the age of 9 years and fades away with increasing age. A critical review of our longitudinal and training studies evidenced that it is especially metaphor understanding that benefits ToM, rather than vice versa. Overall, the results of our research programme confirm the inherent mindreading component of pragmatic operations as postulated by post-Gricean pragmatics, highlighting also that ToM involvement in metaphor varies dynamically depending on age and possibly other factors such as the type of metaphor. Furthermore, we argue that pragmatics should not be seen as ancillary to ToM but rather as a driving factor for socio-cognitive development. We conclude that integrating experimental pragmatics and insights from developmental psychology, such as the attention to individual differences, brings new opportunities for metaphor research.