Who emphasizes that young children are very interested in their social world and can understand the intentions of others early in development?

Michael Tomasello emphasizes that young children show a significant interest in their social world and are capable of understanding the intentions of others from an early age. His research highlights how infants and toddlers engage in collaborative activities, indicating an innate social understanding. He posits that this social cognition is fundamental to their development and progress in cooperative skills.

Tomasello’s work focuses on how children are inherently social beings who learn through interaction. He explored concepts such as joint attention and social referencing, illustrating that children are not just passive recipients of information but rather active participants in their social environments. This aligns with his theories about the development of shared goals and cooperative behaviors, which emerge very early in life.

In contrast, other theorists like Jean Piaget primarily concentrated on cognitive development stages, with less emphasis on the social context. Lev Vygotsky acknowledged the importance of social interaction in learning but focused on more structured forms of cultural mediation. Sigmund Freud’s theories revolved around psychosexual stages and personality development, providing a different perspective that does not center on social understanding in early childhood. Thus, Tomasello’s focus on social cognition and the ability to understand intentions aligns perfectly with the question.