Social Understanding and Social Lives: From Toddlerhood through to the Transition to School (Essays in Developmental Psychology) - Hardcover

Claire Hughes is Professor of Developmental Psychology at Newnham College, Cambridge.

"[An] engaging, lucid and authoritative book. What makes this book such an important reading – not just for academics and students working in this area but also for professionals in education and health – is not simply Hughes's skilful ability to weave together the key themes emerging from a large, and rapidly growing, literature with the delightfully accessible findings of her own very substantial research programme. More than that, Hughes accomplishes the crucial task of setting a clear agenda for future work that builds on all of this progress. ... Hughes puts us all in a good position to maximize the strength and applied value of work on children's social-cognitive development." - Robin Banerjee, University of Sussex, UK, in Infant and Child Development

"Hughes's book focuses primarily on findings from theory-of-mind research, teaching readers about infants’ and toddlers’ ability to understand their own and others’ false beliefs, intentions, emotions, and behaviors. Readers learn a perspective on how toddlers see the world, negotiate the microcontexts they face daily, and prepare to enter the relatively impersonal world of schooling." - Theresa A. Thorkildsen, in PsycCRITIQUES

"This book is exceptionally clear and thorough, on a topic of much current interest to psychologists. The author has brought together the findings from her project with skill and clarity and considers the current field in a sensible and informed way. I read it with real enthusiasm and interest" - Judy Dunn, Professor of Developmental Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London UK

"This book is a unique tour de force. It skilfully integrates aspects of children’s own cognitive abilities with features of their social environment to explain the individual differences found in children’s theory of mind and the consequences of these differences for their social lives at home and school. It will be an invaluable resource for researchers and professionals in developmental psychology, child health, and education." - Janet Wilde Astington, Institute of Child Study, University of Toronto, Canada