The study investigates whether 18-month-old children can infer and re-enact the intended actions of adults, even when those actions are not performed. In Experiment 1, children were shown an adult attempting to perform target acts but failing to achieve them. Despite not observing the successful outcomes, children in the demonstration groups re-enacted the target acts, indicating they understood the adults' intentions. In Experiment 2, children were shown the same movements performed by an inanimate device, which did not elicit the same re-enactment behavior. These findings suggest that 18-month-olds can understand and act based on the intentions of others, differentiating between surface behavior and underlying goals and intentions. The study supports the idea that children develop a folk psychology, understanding people as having mental states like beliefs, desires, and intentions.The study investigates whether 18-month-old children can infer and re-enact the intended actions of adults, even when those actions are not performed. In Experiment 1, children were shown an adult attempting to perform target acts but failing to achieve them. Despite not observing the successful outcomes, children in the demonstration groups re-enacted the target acts, indicating they understood the adults' intentions. In Experiment 2, children were shown the same movements performed by an inanimate device, which did not elicit the same re-enactment behavior. These findings suggest that 18-month-olds can understand and act based on the intentions of others, differentiating between surface behavior and underlying goals and intentions. The study supports the idea that children develop a folk psychology, understanding people as having mental states like beliefs, desires, and intentions.