Making Inferences about Intention: Perceptual Control Theory as a “Theory of Mind” for Psychologists

Abstract

Theory of Mind (ToM) assumes that humans and possibly other primates understand behavior in terms of inferences about intentions. While there is evidence that primates make such inferences, little attention has been paid to the question of their validity. In order to answer this question it is necessary to know the true intentions underlying behavior. The present paper shows that Perceptual Control Theory can provide a scientific basis for making such determinations using methods derived from control engineering. These methods—called the “Test for the Controlled Variable” (TCV)—are based on the assumption that intentional behavior is equivalent to the process of control. The TCV provides an objective approach to inferring the intentions underlying behavior in terms of the perceptual variables under control and the goal states of those variables. Thus, Perceptual Control Theory represents an empirical ToM for psychologists—one that can be used to understand behavior in terms of inferences about intention that are based on the results of active experimentation rather than passive observation.