BARON-COHEN, S., JOLLIFFE, T., MORTIMORE, C. & ROBERTSON, M. (1997) Another advanced test of theory of mind: evidence from very high functioning adults with autism or Asperger syndrome. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. 38: 813–822 BACKGROUND SLIDES

Learning objectives: To be able to describe Autism and to challenge any stereotypes held To understand Baron-Cohen’s Theory of Mind and false belief tasks To consider issues/difficulties in researching this topic

The Triad of Impairments:

Lack of empathy for others Difficulties in understanding people Lower than normal language ability Low levels of imaginative thinking Problems with communicating with others and building social relationships A preference for order and organisation, and a resistance to change Obsessive behaviour However, there are different degrees of autism… Some characteristics of autism

Autistic spectrum disorders:

CM CM

Theory of Mind While there is still a lack of consensus as to the causes of autism, one theory involves what is called Theory of Mind (ToM) This is the ability to perceive mental states in other people i.e. read what they think/feel or put ourselves in their shoes A common deficit experienced by those with autism is an inability to understand the feelings of others (though this is a generalisation and not true of all people with autism)

How is Theory of Mind tested? We are going to look at a study into ToM as our next core study However, prior to this method a common task was called the ‘Sally Anne’ Test This is a test of ‘false belief’

ACTIVITY: The Sally Anne task was criticised for relating only to children. In pairs, evaluate the Sally Anne task -think about: validity, ambiguity, age Ext: think of an alternative

Baron Cohen wanted to find a way of measuring ToM in adults, so developed the Eyes Task.

Eyes task: Concerned or unconcerned?

Playful vs serious

Reflective or unreflective?

What are your initial thoughts about this task as a test of Theory of Mind/Autism? Was it easy/was it difficult? Validity?

HAPPE’S STRANGE STORIES

Katie and Emma are playing in the house. Emma picks up a banana from the fruit bowl and holds it up to her ear. She says to Katie “Look! This banana is a telephone!” Is it true what Emma says? Yes/No/Don’t know Why does Emma say this?

Today James is going to Claire’s house for the first time. He is going over for tea, and he is looking forward to seeing Claire’s dog, which she talks about all time. James likes dogs very much. When James arrives at Claire’s house Claire runs to open the door,and her dog jumps up to greet James. Claire’s dog is huge; it’s almost as big as James! When James sees Claire’s huge dog he says, “Claire, you haven’t got a dog at all. You’ve got an elephant!” Is it true,what James says? Yes/No/Don’t know Why does he say this?

One day Aunt Jane came to visit Peter. Now Peter loves his aunt very much, but today she is wearing a new hat; a new hat, which Peter thinks is very ugly indeed. Peter thinks his aunt looks silly in it, and much nicer in her old hat. But when Aunt Jane asks Peter, “How do you like my new hat”, Peter says, “Oh, it’s very nice”. Was it true, what Peter said? Yes/No/Don’t know Why did he say it?

Activity Come up with an example of a strange story in pairs. Extension: evaluate your idea

Tourette’s Syndrome This is usually diagnosed in childhood and is not the same as autism However, it can cause disruptions to peer relations and education The main symptom is tics or involuntary movements (you need to know this as people with Tourette’s were used a control group in the Baron-Cohen study)

Exam Practice Section B Briefly outline the aim of your chosen study [2] You have 2 minutes to answer this Q (3 with AT) Focus on ‘point’ + ‘evidence/example’

Now swap with your neighbour please Look for the following: Is there a clear rationale for the study? Was there previous research/theories which led to the study? Has your partner used ‘PE’ format? –THIS IS A KEY AREA WHERE STUDENTS END UP LOSING MARKS (remember, even though they are only out of 2, 1/2 = 50% = D) Have they been concise? Take 2-3 minutes to read through and give feedback (i.e. what did they do well and how could they improve next time).

Assess your learning Describe the Eyes Task [3] Explain Theory of Mind, using an example [4]