Mother-child dyadic interactions shape the developing social brain and Theory of Mind in young children.

ABSTRACT: Social cognition develops through a complex interplay between neural maturation and environmental factors, yet the neurobehavioral mechanisms underlying this process remain unclear. Using a naturalistic fMRI paradigm, we investigated the effects of age and parental caregiving on social brain development and Theory of Mind (ToM) in 34 mother-child dyads. The functional maturity of social brain networks was positively associated with age, while mother-child neural synchronization during movie viewing was related to dyadic relationship quality. Crucially, parenting and child factors interactively shaped social cognition outcomes, mediated by ToM abilities. Our findings demonstrate the dynamic interplay of neurocognitive development and interpersonal synchrony in early childhood social cogniti

SUBMITTER: Li L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12626422 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature