Baron Cohen Et Al- Cognitive

Question 1

Background

Answer 1

Feature of autism is lack of theory of mind

First tested in 1985 and revised in 2001

Question 2

Problems w og test

Answer 2

Test ws too easy

Celling effect

Question 3

Predictions

Answer 3

Asperger syndrome (AS)/ high functionning autism (HFA) score lower on eye test
AS/HFA score higher on AQ (test to asses autistic squectrum conditions- self report closed questionnaire- 50 questions on a 4 point scale)
«Normal» females score higher than males on eye test
«Normal» males will score higher than females on the AQ

Question 4

Method

Answer 4

Quasi experiment (participants with autism can only participate in one condition)

Question 5

Eye test

Answer 5

36 black and white photos (10x15) of different male and female eye regions taken from magazine

Question 6

Participants

Answer 6

Group 1- 15 self selected males with AS/HFA (mean IQ score of 115)
Group 2- 122 normal adults (control group) from community classes or public libraries in cambridge and exeter (opportunity sampling)
Group 3- 103 normal adults with higher IQ than average
Group 4- IQ matched controls- 14 normal adults with IQ matched to group 1

Question 7

Design

Answer 7

Group 1 and 4 were matched but all independent

Question 8

Apparatus

Answer 8

AQ, eye test quiet room in cambridge/exeter

Question 9

Procedure

Answer 9

All particpants given eye test in quiet room

Group 1 3 4 given AQ

Question 10

Data

Answer 10

Quantitative

AQ and eye test gave numerical scores

Question 11

Findings

Answer 11

Mean eye test for group 1 was lower than all other groups
Group 1 scored higher for AQ than group 3 4
Females scored higher than men for eye test
Females scored lower than men for AQ

Question 12

Conclusion

Answer 12

AS/HFA results are impaired compared with non-AS/HFA participants
Pretictions confirmed