Baron-Cohen Basics
This questionnaire was used to measure autistic traits and showed a negative correlation with Eyes test scores.
AQ test
The main improvement that increased sensitivity by using non-opposite foils.
Increasing number options for responses from 2-4
In target-absent lineups, participants were instructed to point to this if they did not see the
Sillouhette box on screen
Children performed almost as accurately as adults in this condition.
What is target-present cartoon lineup?
One ethical strength that applies to both studies. (hint: involves fully disclosing what will happen in experiemtn)
informed consent
Baron-Cohen et al. included this task for the AS/HFA group to show that their deficit was specific to emotion recognition, not general face perception.
What is the gender recognition control task
This change helped ensure the test used only difficult, advanced mental state terms.
What is using only complex emotions
This design feature was used to reduce order effects when participants saw multiple lineups.
Counterbalancing of lineup orders
In target-absent lineups, children made more errors than adults primarily due to this factor.
What is social pressure to make a choice (rather than reject the lineup)
One strength of the sample used in Baron-Cohen et al.'s study.
What is the inclusion of an IQ-matched control group? (or multiple control groups to reduce confounding by IQ)
The group in Baron-Cohen et al.'s study that scored the highest on the revised Eyes test.
IQ matched control group
How many sets of eyes in revised test?
36
Cartoons were used as a control condition because they represented this combination of factors.
Low cognitive demand / high familiarity
Children were significantly less accurate than adults at correctly rejecting the lineup in both cartoon and human versions of this lineup type.
What is target-absent?
One weakness of the sample used in Baron-Cohen et al.'s study.
What is the small AS/HFA sample size (n=15)?
This was provided in the procedure to help participants understand complex emotion terms like "flustered" or "relaxed."
Glossary
One revision that prevented a ceiling effect and made the test more discriminating.
What is removing basic emotions / using only complex emotions? (or increasing to 36 items?)
The study used black-and-white, close-cropped photos of faces (neck and top of shoulders) for this reason.
To reduce confounding variables
children would be as good as adults at identifying cartoon faces when the target was present.
all
A strength of Pozzulo et al.'s procedure that helped isolate social demand effects.
use of cartoons as a low cognitive demand / high familiarity control condition?
One key finding about AS/HFA adults — they showed this on the Eyes test despite normal performance on gender recognition and IQ.
A specific deficit in theory of mind (emotional recognition)
Two improvements: equal numbers of male and female eyes, and removal of this type of cue.
Gaze direction cues
Pozzulo et al. showed children's poorer performance in target-absent lineups was due to social demands rather than poor memory by comparing results in this condition (where near-ceiling performance occurred).
What is the cartoon target-present lineup? (or cartoon identification condition, showing ceiling effect)
Explain how the cartoon results helped isolate social demands as the cause of children's errors in target-absent lineups.
Children showed near-perfect accuracy (ceiling effect) in target-present cartoon lineups, so poor memory cannot explain their errors in target-absent cartoon lineups — must be social factors/expectation to choose someone?
One weakness common to both studies related to ecological validity.
What is low ecological validity? (static eyes / no real emotional stakes in lab lineups)