Case Study 3- Reading The Mind In They Eyes

Question 1

Name of study?
Researchers?
Year?

Answer 1

Reading the mind in the eyes

Boron-Cohen

2001

Question 2

Context

What is the context if this study?

Answer 2

• one feature of autism is ‘lack of theory of mind’
• in 1997 Boron cohen et al. Devised a theory mind test for adults called the ‘eye test’
• however, the research team was not happy with elements of the original version and wanted to ‘upgrade’ their measure to make it better.

Question 3

Context:
There were 8 key problems.
List three of them and how they were solved.

Answer 3

Context:
There were 8 key problems.
List three of them and how they were solved.

Question 4

Problem 1.

Solved

Answer 4

More female pairs of eyes used in original test.

Resolved by including a equal amount of female and Male eyes.

Question 5

Problem 2.

Solved

Answer 5

A COMPREHENSION PROBLEM with choice of words. A lot of participants used the words they know

Solved by having a glossary with all terms. It was available at all times for the participants to use.

Question 6

Problem 3.

Solved

Answer 6

Choice of two responses were always SEMANTIC OPPOSITES. E.g happy or sad

Resolved this by removing semantic opposites and introducing FOIL CHOICES. This was helped by a choice of four words instead of only two.

Question 7

Aim:

WHAT was their aim? 3

Answer 7

1 test a group of adults with ASPERGER SYNDROME or HIGH FUNCTIONING AUTISTIC on the revised test.

2. See if females eye test was better
3. Test a sample of normal adults ( control group) to see if there was a correlation between scores of eye test and AQ ( autism sample quotient)

Question 8

Method:

What was redesigned and why?

Answer 8

Questionnaire was redesigned to overcome the problems of original eye test.

Question 9

Method:
How was it redesigned? (5)

What was the question given ? (3)

Answer 9

• Had 36 black and white photographs taken from a magazine
• Each had four words
• Used to describe the mental state of a person.
• Sizes of images were 15x10 cm
• Eyes were female and male
• Question given ‘which word best describes what this person is feeling’
• only one answer
• when finished total number of correct answers were added up to have overall score.

Question 10

Method

What was the other test? And who created it?

Answer 10

AQ Test-

Created by Baron-Cohen et al. In 2001. It was used to asses if someone had autistic spectrum conditions

Question 11

Method
What did this AQ test have?

What was it considered to be?

Answer 11

Had 50 statements.
Each a choice of four answers 
-definitely agree
-slightly agree
-definitely disagree 
-slightly disagree 

It was considered reliable and valid. Also Served as a psychometric test.

Question 12

Participants

-how many groups of participants ?

Answer 12

4

Question 13

Participants

Explain those 4 groups and where they were recruited from.

Answer 13

1. 15 males diagnosed with AS and HFA.
   Recruited from a U.K. National autistic society.
   We’re volunteers.
2. 122 normal adults ( control group).
   Recuited from community, educational classes in Exceteter and public library in Cambridge
3. 103 adults 53 male and 53 female
   Recruited from Univeristy of Cambridge. Had an high IQ.
4. 14 normal adults picked randomly.
   Same IQ as group 1

Question 14

Procedure

What was the procedure? [4]

Answer 14

1. All groups would complete the ‘eyes test.
2. This was completed on their own in a quiet room.
3. Groups 1,3 and 4 were asked to complete the AQ test.
4. Participants were given a glossary to read in order for them to ask any words they did not understand.

Question 15

Results and findings

What were the types of data?

Answer 15

Quantitative data- for both eye test and AQ

No qualitative

Question 16

Results\ findings

What were the results?

Answer 16

Group 1 (As/HFA) had scored significantly worse than the other three groups. MEAN SCORE 21.9

Females had a better eye test than males

Group 1 AS/HFA scored significantly higher in AQ test. MEAN SCORE 34.4

Correlation between eye test and AQ test was recorded as negative.

ALL PREDICTIONS WERE CORRECT

Question 17

Conclusion

What was the conclusion.

Answer 17

1. New eyes test seemed to overcome initial problems of original version.

Research team even said
‘Validates it as a useful test since it helps to identify the subtle differences in social intelligence. ‘

2. Revised eye test help to discriminate between AS AND HFA and só society.

Question 18

Evaluation

What were the three strengths?

Answer 18

1. They eye yes could be easily repeated by other teams outside, making it extremely reliable.
2. Having all groups been tested in the same standardized scale, it made de distinction between different groups valid.
3. • could improve human behavior as psychologist could now create therapies for trains social communication and emotional skills, in order with people with AS and HFA integrate better into society

Question 19

Evaluation

What were the three weaknesses?

Answer 19

1. Ecological validity was low- eyes were not real. Black and white photographs.
2. Eye test focuses on facial expressions no on body language or speech! Therefore REDUCTIONIST
3. Psychologists do not believe that this study was actually studying the ‘theory of mind’ as all they were doing were the ‘eyes test’.