Baron-Cohen et. al. (2001) (Eyes Test) Flashcards
What is Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)?
A neurodevelopmental disorder impairing a child’s ability to communicate and interact, with symptoms including repetitive behavior, little or no eye contact, and difficulty recognizing facial expressions.
What is High Functioning Autism (HFA)?
A form of autism where individuals have above-average intelligence but struggle with social interactions and repetitive behaviors.
What is Asperger’s Syndrome (AS)?
An autism spectrum disorder affecting language and communication skills, with symptoms including restricted and repetitive behaviors and difficulty identifying facial expressions.
What is the Autism Spectrum Quotient Test (AQ)?
A self-report questionnaire with scores ranging from 0 to 50, where higher scores indicate more autistic traits.
What is Theory of Mind (ToM)?
The ability to understand the perspective of another person.
What were the issues with the original 1997 study?
- More female than male faces. 2. Test included both basic and complex mental states, and the basic ones were too easy.
How were the issues in the original study addressed?
- Equal number of male and female faces. 2. Only complex mental states were used.
What was the aim of the revised ‘Reading the Mind in the Eyes’ test?
To determine if the test could differentiate AS/HFA individuals from the general population and examine correlations with AQ scores and gender differences.
What were the key hypotheses?
- AS/HFA participants would score lower on RET. 2. AS/HFA participants would score higher on AQ. 3. Females in the normal group would score higher on RET. 4. Males in the normal group would score higher on AQ. 5. AQ and RET scores would be negatively correlated.
What is Baron-Cohen’s theory on autism and ToM?
People with autism have an undeveloped Theory of Mind, affecting their ability to interpret emotions.
How was the sample divided?
Group 1: 15 males with AS/HFA. Group 2: 122 adults from the general population. Group 3: 103 Cambridge undergraduates. Group 4: 14 IQ-matched controls.
What research method was used?
A quasi-experiment.
What research design was used?
Independent groups design.
What were the independent variables?
AS/HFA diagnosis and gender.
What were the dependent variables?
RET score, AQ score, and gender identification for Group 1.
How was the Revised Eyes Test (RET) developed?
36 photos with target words and foils were tested by 8 judges; only words with high agreement were retained.
How were participants tested?
Individually in a quiet room with no time limit; Group 1 also judged gender, and Groups 1, 3, and 4 took the AQ test.
How was ethical consent handled?
Participants consented and data was anonymized; AS/HFA participants were diagnosed by specialists.
What were the key results?
- AS/HFA adults scored significantly lower on RET. 2. AS/HFA adults scored significantly higher on AQ. 3. Females scored higher on RET. 4. There was a significant negative correlation (-0.53) between AQ and RET scores.
What were the main conclusions?
AS/HFA adults struggle with recognizing emotions. The RET is a sensitive measure of social intelligence, and gender differences in emotional recognition exist.
What were the strengths of the study?
- Controlled variables and replicable. 2. Improvements increased validity.
What were the weaknesses of the study?
- Low ecological validity due to static images. 2. Small AS/HFA sample. 3. Lack of full facial expressions. 4. No random allocation in a quasi-experiment.
How can this study be applied to real life?
Training programs can help AS/HFA individuals interpret emotions, and the RET can aid in autism diagnosis.
What does the study say about individual vs. situational explanations?
The study supports an individual explanation since performance on the RET was linked to personal ability rather than external factors.
What test is used for children instead of RET?
The ‘Anne and Sally’ test, which assesses Theory of Mind in children.
