Gender differences in the relationship between story comprehension and theory of mind skills in Kindergarten children in Saudi Arabia

Background statementStudies show that there is a relationship between theory of mind and story comprehension skills. However, it is also seen that there is a need for correlational studies that examine story comprehension skills according to theory of mind sub-skills.AimsThis study aimed to examine the relationship between preschool children's theory of mind and story comprehension skills. In addition, it was investigated whether there were differences in story comprehension and theory of mind scores of children according to the gender variable.MethodsThe study group consisted of 140 children (71 girls, 69 boys), from four kindergartens, in Rafha, Saudi Arabia, during the fall semester of the 2024 academic year. The study group was selected using the convenience sampling method, a nonrandom sampling method.ResultsSignificant differences were found in favor of girls in the story comprehension scores and Theory of Mind Skills of the children included in the study.ConclusionAccording to the results of the research, there is a positive moderate relationship between story comprehension scores and theory of mind scale scores.