Do Metarepresentation and Narratives Play a Role in Refl ective Th inking?

Refl ective thinking can mean three diff erent things. A fi rst form of refl ective thinking consists in elaborating personal conceptions about the mental activities and abilities and in becoming aware of what occurs in our and other people’s minds when we are engaged in intellectual tasks. Th is form of refl ective thinking encompasses the research fi eld usually labeled as “metacognition.” A second meaning of “refl ective thought” regards Th eory of Mind, which concerns more closely the realm of social interactions and relationships. Th eory of Mind in fact is conceived as the recognition of one’s and others’ aff ective and epistemic mental states as the psychological causes and motives underlying behaviors. Metacognition and Th eory of Mind are in part explicit and can be recognized by asking people to express verbally their beliefs about the mind; they are, however, also partially implicit, and they can be detected by observing how people behave – both in natural and in experimental settings – and speak. Th e third kind of refl ective thinking takes the form of narration. In this case individuals refl ect on their own and others’ mental lives by trying to make sense of what happens within and around them. People’s storytelling, on one hand, reveals their na ï ve psychological ideas and, on the other hand, hints at exploring and understanding their own and other persons’ mental states and intentions better. Th e forms of refl ective thinking mentioned are seen as important competences that are needed to equip an individual to face the demands of reality. Th eir functional meaning appears in informal