Final answer:
Theory of Mind is the ability to understand others' mental states, which aligns with option b from the student's choices. It emerges in early childhood and is essential for social development, enabling children to understand that others might have different beliefs and desires.
Step-by-step explanation:
Theory of Mind (ToM) refers to the cognitive ability to understand that other individuals have their own perspectives, beliefs, and mental states that are separate from one's own. It involves recognizing that others have their own desires, intentions, and emotions, which may differ from one's own. This understanding is crucial for effective interpersonal interactions and is a key component of social development. It applies to recognizing the possibility of false beliefs in others and predicting their behavior based on an understanding of their mental states.
Regarding the choices presented in the student's question, 'Theory of Mind' concerning social development most accurately aligns with option b: Understanding others' mental states. This ability typically begins to develop in early childhood, around the ages of 3 to 5 years, and it continues to refine as a child grows. Development of ToM is also an important aspect of moral development and the process by which children and adolescents learn to function within societal norms.
It's through the socialization process that children learn to view themselves from another's perspective and develop a sense of 'self', an understanding considered essential by sociologists such as George Herbert Mead for the full development of an individual's identity within a society.