Background: Aim: To investigate if Reliability :
Theory of Mind = People with ASC lack ability to high functioning adults +High internal validity as the procedure of the tasks were standardised as
understand what is going on in someone else’s mind. with ASC have a theory they were all in black and white and the same size, which increases
Understanding that someone else has a separate mind to of mind by using control within the study.
you own therefore, does not see/ experience the world as appropriate testing. +High in inter-rater reliability as images and emotions used were passed
you do. by a group of independent judges, so there is consistency between
Sally Anne test = children with ASC lacked theory of mind. Method: different researchers.
However, this showed a ceiling affect. -Quasi experiment
Happe = Designed for more advanced children where -Matched pairs design
children had to judge metal/ physical state. Children with -Snapshot study
ASC had difficulty judging mental state more than physical. -IV = each group
represents one IV.
Sample:
1)16 ppts with high functioning ASD self-selected from Materials: Photos of 25 Validity:
advertisement in National Autistic Society Magazine. different eye regions +High external validity as the standardised results increased control
2)50 ‘normal’ ppts age matched with ASD sample. Random taken from magazines within the stud, making it easier to replicate again outside the study.
sampling from subject panel at University of Cambridge. and were standardised +High in concurrent validity as Happe had previously used Sally Anne test
3)10 ppts with Tourette’s syndrome age matched to ASD (all B&W and same
Baron-Cohen to prove theory of mind in people with ASC.
condition, self-selected from London. size). -Lacks ecological validity as using pictures of eyes to recognise
2 and 3 were control groups. Had to identify mental gender and emotion is not natural for how ppts would actually be in
1 and 3 passed Sally Anne test prior. – states. society. However, because it can appear in ppts everyday life and can be a
good way to measure autism, it could be very useful and can be seen as
high in ecological validity.
Strange Stories Task: Gender Recognition of Eyes:
Using Happe’s previous research based on what ASC had to identify gender.
characters were thinking and on physical events. Involved face perception.
Results : Ethics:
-ASC had difficulty and made more errors than TS. Basic emotion Task: -All adults so could give informed consent. However, if ppt lacked Theory
-No ppts in TS made any mistakes. Control where ASC had to of Mind, then we don’t know if they truly understand informed consent.
-Should positively correlate with results of eyes identify basic emotions to
task. demonstrate they could -Could have been caused psychological harm as the study indicated that
recognise basic emotions. people with ASC had an impairment in social skills, which could have
Eyes Task:
caused have them to have lower self-esteem.
ASC had to identify one of mental states under Results:
pictures. Performed normally on both. +Could be argues they were protected from harm as some as the tasks
Results: Couldn’t interpret what this took place at ppts own homes therefore, ppts would be in their own
-ASC did less well than normal and TS, who means in terms of an internal comfort especially as some ppts had ASC.
performed the same. state.
-There was a ceiling effect in TS and normal.
Theory of Mind = People with ASC lack ability to high functioning adults +High internal validity as the procedure of the tasks were standardised as
understand what is going on in someone else’s mind. with ASC have a theory they were all in black and white and the same size, which increases
Understanding that someone else has a separate mind to of mind by using control within the study.
you own therefore, does not see/ experience the world as appropriate testing. +High in inter-rater reliability as images and emotions used were passed
you do. by a group of independent judges, so there is consistency between
Sally Anne test = children with ASC lacked theory of mind. Method: different researchers.
However, this showed a ceiling affect. -Quasi experiment
Happe = Designed for more advanced children where -Matched pairs design
children had to judge metal/ physical state. Children with -Snapshot study
ASC had difficulty judging mental state more than physical. -IV = each group
represents one IV.
Sample:
1)16 ppts with high functioning ASD self-selected from Materials: Photos of 25 Validity:
advertisement in National Autistic Society Magazine. different eye regions +High external validity as the standardised results increased control
2)50 ‘normal’ ppts age matched with ASD sample. Random taken from magazines within the stud, making it easier to replicate again outside the study.
sampling from subject panel at University of Cambridge. and were standardised +High in concurrent validity as Happe had previously used Sally Anne test
3)10 ppts with Tourette’s syndrome age matched to ASD (all B&W and same
Baron-Cohen to prove theory of mind in people with ASC.
condition, self-selected from London. size). -Lacks ecological validity as using pictures of eyes to recognise
2 and 3 were control groups. Had to identify mental gender and emotion is not natural for how ppts would actually be in
1 and 3 passed Sally Anne test prior. – states. society. However, because it can appear in ppts everyday life and can be a
good way to measure autism, it could be very useful and can be seen as
high in ecological validity.
Strange Stories Task: Gender Recognition of Eyes:
Using Happe’s previous research based on what ASC had to identify gender.
characters were thinking and on physical events. Involved face perception.
Results : Ethics:
-ASC had difficulty and made more errors than TS. Basic emotion Task: -All adults so could give informed consent. However, if ppt lacked Theory
-No ppts in TS made any mistakes. Control where ASC had to of Mind, then we don’t know if they truly understand informed consent.
-Should positively correlate with results of eyes identify basic emotions to
task. demonstrate they could -Could have been caused psychological harm as the study indicated that
recognise basic emotions. people with ASC had an impairment in social skills, which could have
Eyes Task:
caused have them to have lower self-esteem.
ASC had to identify one of mental states under Results:
pictures. Performed normally on both. +Could be argues they were protected from harm as some as the tasks
Results: Couldn’t interpret what this took place at ppts own homes therefore, ppts would be in their own
-ASC did less well than normal and TS, who means in terms of an internal comfort especially as some ppts had ASC.
performed the same. state.
-There was a ceiling effect in TS and normal.
