(c) baron cohen et al

Question 1

What is theory of mind?

Answer 1

The ability to determine mental states in ourselves and others.

Question 2

What does social sensitivity refer to?

Answer 2

How effectively an individual can identify, understand, and respect the feelings of others during social interactions.

Question 3

What is autism spectrum condition characterized by?

Answer 3

Challenges in social skills, impaired communication, and lack of imaginative abilities.

Question 4

What is the significance of the ‘Sally Anne task’?

Answer 4

Designed to assess theory of mind abilities in children.

Question 5

What is the definition of mind blindness?

Answer 5

The inability to understand others’ intentions, often associated with autism.

Question 6

What were the aims of Baron-Cohen et al. (2001) study?

Answer 6

To test if the revised ‘Eyes Test’ could detect deficits in adults with HFA/AS.
To test for female superiority.
To test if there was a negative correlation between neurotypical ppts Eyes Test scores and AQ scores

Question 7

What changes were made in the revised Eyes Test?

Answer 7

• Increased questions from 25 to 36
• Expanded choices from 2 to 4
• Used complex emotions instead of basic ones
• Equal number of male and female faces
• Added a glossary

Question 8

What is the ceiling effect?

Answer 8

When a high proportion of subjects score maximum marks on a test, making it difficult to differentiate between individuals.

Question 9

Which groups completed the AQ test in the study?

Answer 9

Group 1, Group 3, and Group 4

Question 10

What type of experiment was conducted in the study?

Answer 10

Laboratory environment (independent measures design)

Question 11

What are the independent variables (IVs) in the study?

Answer 11

Participant group (HFA/AS, adult comparison, student comparison, matched IQ) and sex (male, female)

Question 12

What are the dependent variables (DVs) measured in the study?

Answer 12

Scores on the revised Eyes Test, AQ test, and IQ test

Question 13

Which group performed worst on the Eyes test?

Answer 13

Group 1 (HFA/AS)

Question 14

What correlation exists between AQ scores and Eyes Test scores?

Answer 14

Negative correlation

Question 15

What ethical considerations were taken in the study?

Answer 15

Data anonymization and informed consent from all participants
(Group 1 (HFA/AS) was considered vulnerable, raising concerns about pressure and psychological harm)

Question 16

What was a significant finding regarding gender differences in the study?

Answer 16

Females scored higher than males on the Eyes Test in Groups 2 and 3

Question 17

What does the study suggest about the relationship between social intelligence and IQ?

Answer 17

They are independent; no correlation was found between Eyes test scores and IQ

Question 18

Was the study’s sample representative of the general population?

Answer 18

No, the sample of HFA/AS ppts was all male and from the UK

Question 19

What is one strength of the study related to data collection?

Answer 19

High reliability, replicability, and standardization

Question 20

What is one weakness of the study regarding ecological validity?

Answer 20

Low ecological validity due to the artificial setting and task

Question 21

What were the sampling methods for each group?

Answer 21

Group 1 - volunteer
Group 2 and 3 - opportunity
Group 4 - randomly selected

Question 22

Characteristics of Group 1?

Answer 22

• 15 HFA/AS adult males
• mean IQ of 115

Question 23

Characteristics of Group 2?

Answer 23

• 112 neurotypical adults (M/F)
• wide range of education/employment

Question 24

Characteristics of Group 3?

Answer 24

• 103 neurotypical students (M/F)
• assumed high IQ
• all from Cambridge

Question 25

Characteristics of Group 4?

Answer 25

• 14 neurotypical adult males
• IQ matched with HFA/AS group
• mean IQ of 116

Question 26

psychology investigated

Answer 26

social sensitivity, theory of mind