Mind Reading from Pictures of Eyes: Theory of Mind, Language Ability, General Intellectual Ability, and Autism

Some researchers have claimed that theory of mind or "mind reading" ability, necessary for inferring the mental states of others, depends on language ability. However, previous tests of theory of mind have been verbally demanding, & observed high correlations might have been due to confounding variables. This paper reports the performance of children with autism (N = 22), with varying degrees of dysfunction, on a test devised by Baron Cohen, Jolliffe, Mortimore, & Robertson (1997), based on a relatively nonverbal theory of mind. The test involved inference of mental states from photographs of human eyes. Results indicated that mind reading ability was independent of language ability, general intelligence, or mental age. Test scores were, however, strongly related to the severity of autistic disorder. These results suggest both the independence of mind reading ability from language ability & general intelligence, & a strong relationship between theory of mind deficit & autism. Tables, Figures, References. Adapted from the source document