THEORY OF MIND IN CHILDREN AGED 3-5 YEARS - RELEVANCE, CORRELATION WITH BRAND SYMBOLISM AND FOOD-RELATED DEVELOPMENT.

Developing a Theory of Mind (ToM) in children aged 3-5 is a crucial milestone in their cognitive development. Referring to the ability to understand that other people have beliefs, desires, and intentions that may differ from one's own, this ability is critical for social interactions and communication, as it enables individuals to predict and interpret the behavior of others based on their mental states. For this reason, this paper aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the historical literature on the theory of mind, particularly in its correlation to brand symbolism in children aged 3-5 years and food-related development. Exploring the past literature, models, and examples of ToM, this paper offers important implications for marketers and parents alike, with help in designing more effective advertising campaigns that leverage brand symbolism to create positive associations with their products and brands to children, as well as recognizing the potential influence of brand symbolism on their children's attitudes and behavior towards certain products. Children with a more developed ToM tend to have a better understanding of brand symbolism and are more likely to make connections between a brand and its symbolic representation. In the context of food-related development, and with children's food preferences and choices shaped by various factors, researchers and practitioners can be shown a pathway to develop more effective strategies for promoting healthy food choices and addressing the obesity epidemic. In conclusion, the findings of this paper highlight the importance of considering children's ToM abilities when designing marketing strategies and the potential impact of brand symbolism on children's consumer behavior. Further research in this beneficial field that can explore these relationships in more detail should be focused on developing evidence-based interventions to promote healthy food choices and protect children from the potentially harmful effects of marketing messages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]