Five-year-old Serena ate a cupcake that she knew she was not supposed to have until after dinner. To avoid punishment, Serena told her mother that the dog ate the cupcake. Serena's attempt to alter her mother's belief demonstrates

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Serena's attempt to alter her mother's belief about who ate the cupcake shows that she understands that her mother has beliefs about what happened, and that those beliefs can be different from the truth. This understanding is part of theory of mind, and specifically the belief-desire theory, which involves recognizing that people's behavior is influenced by both their beliefs and their desires. Serena's behavior is an example of using this theory in a manipulative way to avoid punishment.

Five-Year-Old Serena Ate a Cupcake That She Knew She Was