individual study 2: Baron-cohen on autism

• What is the focus of Chapter 6 in the study material?

  Individual differences
• What is the key theme discussed in Chapter 2.6?

  Understanding disorders
• Who conducted the study on Autism in 1997?

  Baron-Cohen et al.
• What does Theory of Mind (ToM) refer to?

  Understanding that others have separate minds
• What was the main finding of Baron-Cohen et al. regarding autistic children and ToM?

  They did not have a Theory of Mind
• What does it mean that Autism is a Spectrum condition?

  Autistic people share traits but experience them differently
• What is the purpose of the Eyes Task in the study?

  To test ToM in AS adults
• How many pairs of eyes were shown to participants in the Eyes Task?

  25 pairs
• What were participants required to do in the Eyes Task?

  Select mental state terms under each picture
• Where were participants tested for the Eyes Task?

  In their home, clinic, or laboratory
• What was the second task participants completed?

  Happé's Strange Stories Task
• What did AS and TS participants do in the Strange Stories Task?

  Answer questions about characters' thoughts
• What was the third task for AS participants?

  Identify the gender of the eyes
• What was the fourth task for AS participants?

  Identify basic emotions in whole faces
• How were the four tasks presented to participants?

  In a random order
• What type of experiment was conducted in this study?

  Quasi-experiment
• How many groups were involved in the study?

  Three groups
• What was the average IQ of the AS group?

  85
• What was the mean IQ of the non-AS group?

  105.3
• How many men and women were in the AS group?

  13 men and 3 women
• What was the mean IQ of the TS group?

  103.5
• What was the dependent variable in the study?

  Scores on various tasks
• What type of data was primarily collected in the Eyes Task?

  Quantitative data
• What was a significant finding regarding non-AS women on the Eyes Task?

  They performed better than non-AS men
• What was the conclusion regarding AS adults and ToM?

  They may lack a Theory of Mind
• What might explain the gender difference in performance?

  Genetic factors or socialization differences
• What are the tasks completed by AS participants in the study?

  • Eyes Task (Task A)
  • Strange Stories Task (Task B)
  • Gender Recognition of Eyes (Task C)
  • Basic Emotion Recognition Task (Task D)
• What are the methodological strengths and weaknesses of the study?

  Strengths:

  • Control groups provided a baseline
  • Matched participants design controlled age

  
  

  Weaknesses:

  • IV not controlled for ToM deficits
  • Sample gender imbalance
• What ethical considerations were noted in the study?

  • Informed consent obtained from adults
  • Vulnerability of participants lacking ToM
  • Social sensitivity of research findings
• What is the significance of ethnocentrism in this study?

  • Sample was British
  • Cultural perceptions of autism may vary