Abstract
Developed by Baron-Cohen et al. (1997, 2001), the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test requires individuals to determine mental states from photos of pairs of eyes. Used in over 250 studies, it has been conceptualized as an advanced theory of mind test that is relatively free of general cognitive abilities. Given the sensitivity of the instrument, many studies with healthy adult samples have used this instrument as a measure of individual differences in social-perceptual processes that contribute to theory of mind and overall phenotype. We administered the two-subtest Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence, a face-processing task (Cambridge Face Memory Test), and the Eyes Test to 42 college students. Surprisingly, verbal IQ contributed significantly to the variance in Eyes Test performance while the face perception measure did not. These findings have both practical and theoretical ramifications for interpreting Eyes Test results in normative adult samples.
Highlights
The relative ease or difficulty an individual experiences in understanding others influences his or her outcome across a range of settings
Among the many tests used to study individual differences among high-functioning adults in mentalizing, the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (Eyes Test) has emerged as a standard evidenced by its use in more than 250 studies, translation into several languages, and adaptations for many different research contexts
The central finding of our study was that performance on the Eyes Test correlated to a surprising degree with verbal IQ and not with a more basic measure of face processing
Summary
The relative ease or difficulty an individual experiences in understanding others influences his or her outcome across a range of settings (e.g., career choice, relationship success). The Eyes Test involves examining pairs of eyes (cut out from the face) and making a forced choice among descriptors to identify the mental state or emotion It was first introduced in autism research (Baron-Cohen et al, 1997), the Eyes Test’s potential for studying individual differences among normally developing individuals was quickly established. In other disorders besides autism, a relationship between pragmatic language ability and social understanding has been demonstrated (e.g., schizophrenia: Gavilan and Garcia-Albea, 2011; bipolar disorder: McClure et al, 2005) In this more exploratory aspect of our study, we reasoned that performance on one or both of these measures may account for some of the variance captured by verbal IQ. These additional measures may relate to Eyes Test performance independently from verbal IQ
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