Baron Cohen et al

The main psychology being investigated ?

investigates how a test for theory of mind has been improbed, to better identify differences int the way that aduts with Asperger Syndrome or autism recognise emotions.

The main psychology being investigate was theory of mind and social sentisitityv

ASD ( Autism spectrum disorder )

A diagnostic category (previously including autism and Asperger syndrome) Symptoms , appearing in childhood, present a range of difficulties with social interaction and communication and restricted ,repetitive or rnflexible behaviors or interests

Theory of mind

A cognitive ability that enables one person to comprehend that other people have separate feelings, beliefs, knowledge and desires that can be different from their own . It enables one person to detect the emotional state of another person

what was the background ?

Baron-Cohen suggested that people with autism have an undeveloped 'ToM'. To measure the 'ToM' of individuals, Baron-Cohen came up with the 'Reading the Mind in the Eyes' task where participants would be evaluated on their ability to label others' emotions by observing their eye expressions on photos.

What was the sample ?

Group 1: 15 male adults with AS/HFA. Self-selecting sampling from the UK National Autistic Society through a magazine advert. Average IQ of 115; from a mix of socio-economic and educational backgrounds.Group 2 - Comparative control group of adults: 122 adults from the adult community & educational classes from Exeter and public library users in Cambridge. 55 males and 67 females. From a broad mix of occupations and education.Group 3 - Comparative control group of students: 103 undergraduate students from Cambridge. 53 males and 50 females. Assumed to have IQ higher than other participants.Group 4 - IQ matched controls: 14 randomly selected adults whose IQ matched with that of group 1. Average IQ of 116.

what was the aim ?

1. To test if the revised version of the 'Reading the Mind in the Eyes' test would be successful at differentiating participants with AS or HFA (High Functioning Autism) from the general population.2. To test if there is a negative correlation in a sample of normal adults and between the RET and the AQ.3. To test any sex differences on the RET when normal adults take the test.

Hypotheses1. Participants with autism will score significantly lower in the RET than the control group.2. Participants with autism will score significantly higher on the AQ test.3. Females in the 'normal' group (grp 2 & 3) will score higher on the RET than males in those groups.4. Males in the 'normal' group will score higher on the AQ measure than females.5. Scores on the AQ and RET will be negatively correlated.

What was the research method and design ?

Research Method, Design and Variables Quasi-experiment.Independent groups designIndependent Variables: Whether they had AS/HFA or were normal, and gender.Dependent Variables: RET score, AQ score, and gender identification for group 1.

what is quasi -experiment ?

And refers to the fact that these experiments often have lots of control over the procedure , but not over how participants are allocated to conditions

IQ (intelligence Quotient)

A measure of intelligence that produces a score representing a person mental ability . The average range of between 85 and 115

DSM

Diagnostic and Statistical manual (DSM) published by the American Psychiatric Association , it is used as a classification and diagnostic tool by doctors , psychiatrists and psychologist across the globe

ICD (international Classification Of disorders

Published by Wold Health organisation (WHO) and although similar to the DSM it has a wider scope and covers all health related conditions , not only mental health and psychological conditions

What was the procedure ?

Developing the Revised Eye Test (RET): Baron-Cohen and Wheelwright originated target words and foils for 36 photos. It was piloted on 8 judges (4 males and 4 females). At least 5 judges had to agree on the target word and no more than 2 judges could select any single foil word. If this did not happen, the target word and or foil would be repiloted until the criteria were met for each.In pilot tests, groups 2 and 3 achieved 100% on judging gender. The control group were tested with 40 photos but 4 were eliminated, resulting in 36 items. When results were being calculated, only the data for the 36 eye sets were taken.

B. Implementing the Tests: Each test was individually administered in a quiet room at either Cambridge or Exeter. There was no time limit. Each participant was given a practice test and then presented with 36 sets of eyes and 4 possible target words. Group 1 judged the gender of each photo as a control task. Participants in groups 1, 3 & 4 completed the AQ test. They read through the glossary of terms and were asked to ask questions as needed; they could use the glossary during the test.

Foil

Is something that is used as a contrast to something else . In baron cohen et al study the foil words were the incorrect word s were the (incorrect) alternative words participants could chooses to describe the eyes

What were the results ?

Results• Scores ranged from 17 - 35, with a mode of 24.• Adults with AS/HFA performed significantly worse than other groups for the RET (H1 supported).• On the AQ test, adults with AS/HFA performed significantly higher than the control groups (H2 supported).• Females scored higher on the RET (H3 supported).• There was a significant negative correlation (-0.53) between scores on AQ and RET (H5 supported).

WHat was the conclusion ?

Current study replicated findings that AS/HFA adults are significantly impaired in identifying the emotions of others.• Current study replicated findings that AS/HFA adults score significantly higher on the AQ test than the general population.

There were gender differences found on the RET as females performed better than men. However, it would have been more significant with a greater sample.The Revised Eye Test was a more sensitive measure of adult social intelligence.

What was strengths ?

1:It was a lab experiment, so confounding variables could be controlled. Thus, there is internal validity and it is easily replicable. Everyone saw the same set of eyes.

:Improvements on the eyes test improved validity.

What was the weaknesses ?

:The study lacks ecological validity as eye expressions in real life are quick, and not static

The experimental sample (group 1) is small, so generalising results to those with AS/HFA is not possible.

Only the eyes were used, but normally we study the whole face (mouths are expressive) therefore it lacks ecological validity.

Application to everyday life ?

Application to Everyday LifeProgrammes could be conducted to help people with AS/HFA in developing their skills of interpreting emotions. The eyes test could be improved to help diagnose individuals who may have underlying autistic disorders.

Individual vs situational ?

Individual vs. Situational ExplanationsThe AS/HFA group performed significantly worse on the RET than the 'normal' group. This suggests that the ability to identify mental states is an individual skill that is developed. The environment had been standardised (supports individual explanation).

?

Children as ParticipantsSophisticated words would not be appropriate for children. So, the 'Anne and Sally' test was developed to understand the theory of mind of children.

reductionism vs holism ?

The study focuses on the ability to recognize mental states solely from images of the eyes.

This is a very narrow aspect of social interaction, which typically involves many other cues, including body language, tone of voice, and context.

By isolating this one element, the researchers reduce the complexity of social cognition to a single variable that can be easily measured.