Babies as young as ten-months recognised the intent behind a failed action, a sophisticated understanding of other people’s minds.
This research suggests that the ability of babies to understand the intent behind failed actions builds on their earlier ability to understand the intent behind successful actions.
Amanda C. Brandone, Henry M. Wellman (2009). You Can’t Always Get What You Want: Infants Understand Failed Goal-Directed Actions. Psychological Science, 20 (1), 85-91