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Hu D, Guo X, Zheng H, Yan C, Lui SSY, Wang Y, Wang Y, Chan RCK. Empathic accuracy in individuals with schizotypal personality traits. Psych J 2024; 13:813-823. [PMID: 38530878 PMCID: PMC11444733 DOI: 10.1002/pchj.743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024]
Abstract
Empirical research using the Empathic Accuracy Task (EAT) has suggested that schizophrenia patients and people with schizotypal personality disorder exhibit lower empathic accuracy than healthy people. However, empathic accuracy in a subclinical sample with high levels of schizotypy has seldom been studied. Our study aimed to investigate empathy in a subclinical sample using the Chinese version of the EAT and a self-report empathy measure. Forty participants with high levels of schizotypy (HS participants) and 40 with low levels of schizotypy (LS participants), as measured by the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ), were recruited. All participants completed the Chinese version of the EAT and the self-report Questionnaire of Cognitive and Affective Empathy. Empathic accuracy (EA) scores and the intra-individual variability of EA scores were calculated. Independent samples t tests and Pearson correlation analyses were performed to examine group differences in empathy and the relationship between empathy and schizotypy respectively. HS participants exhibited reduced EA for both positive and negative videos, and larger intra-individual variability of EA for negative videos than LS participants. However, HS and LS participants did not differ in self-report cognitive empathy. Moreover, the interpersonal dimension of the SPQ was negatively correlated with EAT performance and self-report cognitive empathy in LS participants. Individuals with HS show poorer performance-based EA but relatively intact self-report cognitive empathy. This study provides empirical evidence for the ontogeny of empathy deficits in subclinical populations at risk of developing schizophrenia, supporting early interventions for social cognitive deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ding‐ding Hu
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of PsychologyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Xiao‐dong Guo
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of PsychologyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Hong Zheng
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of PsychologyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Chao Yan
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics (MOES & STCSM), School of Psychology and Cognitive ScienceEast China Normal UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Simon S. Y. Lui
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical MedicineThe University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative RegionHong KongChina
| | - Yan‐yu Wang
- School of PsychologyWeifang Medical UniversityWeifangChina
| | - Yi Wang
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of PsychologyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Raymond C. K. Chan
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of PsychologyChinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
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2
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Forby L, Pazhoohi F, Kingstone A. Autistic traits and anthropomorphism: the case of vehicle fascia perception. Cogn Process 2024; 25:513-519. [PMID: 38625652 DOI: 10.1007/s10339-024-01187-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
Individuals high in autistic traits can have difficulties with social interactions which may stem from difficulties with mentalizing abilities, yet findings from research investigating anthropomorphism of non-human objects in high trait individuals are inconsistent. Measuring emotions and attributes of front-facing vehicles, individuals scoring high versus low on the AQ-10 were compared for ratings of angry-happy, hostile-friendly, masculine-feminine, and submissive-dominant, as a function of vehicle size (large versus small). Our results showed that participants perceived large vehicles as more angry, hostile, masculine, and dominant than small vehicles, with no significant difference in ratings between high and low AQ-10 scorers. The current findings support previous research reporting high autistic trait individuals' intact object processing. Our novel findings also suggest high autistic trait individuals' anthropomorphizing abilities are comparable to those found in low autistic trait individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leilani Forby
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Farid Pazhoohi
- School of Psychology, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK.
| | - Alan Kingstone
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
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Di Tella M, Benfante A, Castelli L, Adenzato M, Ardito RB. On the Relationship Between Alexithymia and Social Cognition: A Systematic Review. CLINICAL NEUROPSYCHIATRY 2024; 21:236-265. [PMID: 39309025 PMCID: PMC11411512 DOI: 10.36131/cnfioritieditore20240402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/25/2024]
Abstract
Objective This systematic review summarises the studies that have investigated the relationship between dimensions of social cognition (i.e., Theory of Mind - ToM, emotion recognition, and empathy) and alexithymia in the general adult non-clinical population. Method PubMed, PsycINFO, and Scopus databases were screened, using the following strings: ("alexithymi*") AND ("theory of mind" OR "ToM"); ("alexithymi*") AND ("empath*"); ("alexithymi*") AND ("emotion recognition"); ("alexithymi*") AND ("social cognition"). Results A total of 117 studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in this review. The total number of participants included in the reviewed studies was 40,231. Mixed results were found for alexithymia and ToM, while the relationship between emotion recognition or empathy and alexithymia was more homogeneous. Alexithymia was found to be significantly associated with both a reduced ability to recognise emotions and empathy. Conclusions These results support the existence of significant relationships between alexithymia and altered social cognitive abilities. Future research is needed to confirm the present findings and further elucidate the complex relationship between these processes. Suggestions are made on how to overcome some of the theoretical and methodological problems in the literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marialaura Di Tella
- Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Via Verdi 10, 10124, Turin, Italy
| | - Agata Benfante
- Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Via Verdi 10, 10124, Turin, Italy
| | - Lorys Castelli
- Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Via Verdi 10, 10124, Turin, Italy
| | - Mauro Adenzato
- Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Via Verdi 10, 10124, Turin, Italy
| | - Rita B. Ardito
- Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Via Verdi 10, 10124, Turin, Italy
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Deng F, Bueber MA, Cao Y, Tang J, Bai X, Cho Y, Lee J, Lin Z, Yang Q, Keshavan MS, Stone WS, Qian M, Yang LH, Phillips MR. Assessing social cognition in patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls using the reading the mind in the eyes test (RMET): a systematic review and meta-regression. Psychol Med 2024; 54:847-873. [PMID: 38173096 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291723003501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
The reading the mind in the eyes test (RMET) - which assesses the theory of mind component of social cognition - is often used to compare social cognition between patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls. There is, however, no systematic review integrating the results of these studies. We identified 198 studies published before July 2020 that administered RMET to patients with schizophrenia or healthy controls from three English-language and two Chinese-language databases. These studies included 41 separate samples of patients with schizophrenia (total n = 1836) and 197 separate samples of healthy controls (total n = 23 675). The pooled RMET score was 19.76 (95% CI 18.91-20.60) in patients and 25.53 (95% CI 25.19-25.87) in controls (z = 12.41, p < 0.001). After excluding small-sample outlier studies, this difference in RMET performance was greater in studies using non-English v. English versions of RMET (Chi [Q] = 8.54, p < 0.001). Meta-regression analyses found a negative association of age with RMET score and a positive association of years of schooling with RMET score in both patients and controls. A secondary meta-analysis using a spline construction of 180 healthy control samples identified a non-monotonic relationship between age and RMET score - RMET scores increased with age before 31 and decreased with age after 31. These results indicate that patients with schizophrenia have substantial deficits in theory of mind compared with healthy controls, supporting the construct validity of RMET as a measure of social cognition. The different results for English versus non-English versions of RMET and the non-monotonic relationship between age and RMET score highlight the importance of the language of administration of RMET and the possibility that the relationship of aging with theory of mind is different from the relationship of aging with other types of cognitive functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Deng
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- University of Nottingham School of Economics (Ningbo China), Zhejiang, China
| | - Marlys A Bueber
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yourong Cao
- Guangxi Medical University School of Public Health, Guangxi, China
- The Reproductive Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Guangxi, China
| | - Jeff Tang
- New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Xinyu Bai
- Guangxi Medical University School of Public Health, Guangxi, China
- Guangxi Academy of Medical Sciences & The People's Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Guangxi, China
| | - Young Cho
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jiwon Lee
- Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Zhuozhi Lin
- Department of Mental Health, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Qi Yang
- Ningxia Medical University School of Public Health, Ningxia, China
| | - Matcheri S Keshavan
- Harvard Medical School Department of Psychiatry at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - William S Stone
- Harvard Medical School Department of Psychiatry at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Min Qian
- Department of Biostatistics, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Lawrence H Yang
- New York University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Michael R Phillips
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
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Higgins WC, Kaplan DM, Deschrijver E, Ross RM. Construct validity evidence reporting practices for the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test: A systematic scoping review. Clin Psychol Rev 2024; 108:102378. [PMID: 38232573 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2023.102378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
The Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET) is one of the most influential measures of social cognitive ability, and it has been used extensively in clinical populations. However, questions have been raised about the validity of RMET scores. We conducted a systematic scoping review of the validity evidence reported in studies that administered the RMET (n = 1461; of which 804 included at least one clinical sample) with a focus on six key dimensions: internal consistency, test-retest reliability, factor structure, convergent validity, discriminant validity, and known group validity. Strikingly, 63% of these studies failed to provide validity evidence from any of these six categories. Moreover, when evidence was reported, it frequently failed to meet widely accepted validity standards. Overall, our results suggest a troubling conclusion: the validity of RMET scores (and the research findings based on them) are largely unsubstantiated and uninterpretable. More broadly, this project demonstrates how unaddressed measurement issues can undermine a voluminous psychological literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wendy C Higgins
- Macquarie University, School of Psychological Sciences, NSW 2109, Australia.
| | - David M Kaplan
- Macquarie University, School of Psychological Sciences, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Eliane Deschrijver
- Macquarie University, School of Psychological Sciences, NSW 2109, Australia; University of Sydney, School of Psychology, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Robert M Ross
- Macquarie University, Department of Philosophy, NSW 2109, Australia
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Alvarez R, Velthorst E, Pinkham A, Ludwig KA, Alamansa J, Gaigg SB, Penn DL, Harvey PD, Fett AK. Reading the mind in the eyes and cognitive ability in schizophrenia- and autism spectrum disorders. Psychol Med 2023; 53:7913-7922. [PMID: 37522512 PMCID: PMC10755246 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291723002052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Revised: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Schizophrenia (SZ) and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are characterized by difficulties in theory of mind (ToM). We examined group differences in performance on a ToM-related test and associations with an estimated IQ. METHODS Participants [N = 1227, SZ (n = 563), ASD (n = 159), and controls (n = 505), 32.2% female] completed the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET) and assessments of cognitive ability. Associations between IQ and group on RMET were investigated with regression analyses. RESULTS SZ (d = 0.73, p < 0.001) and ASD (d = 0.37, p < 0.001) performed significantly worse on the RMET than controls. SZ performed significantly worse than ASD (d = 0.32, p = 0.002). Adding IQ to the model, SZ (d = 0.60, p < 0.001) and ASD (d = 0.44, p < 0.001) continued to perform significantly worse than controls, but no longer differed from each other (d = 0.13, p = 0.30). Small significant negative correlations between symptom severity and RMET performance were found in SZ (PANSS positive: r = -0.10, negative: r = -0.11, both p < 0.05). A small non-significant negative correlation was found for Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule scores and RMET in ASD (r = -0.08, p = 0.34). CONCLUSIONS SZ and ASD are characterized by impairments in RMET. IQ contributed significantly to RMET performance and accounted for group differences in RMET between SZ and ASD. This suggests that non-social cognitive ability needs to be included in comparative studies of the two disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Alvarez
- Department of Psychology, City, University of London, London, UK
| | - Eva Velthorst
- Community Mental Health Department GGZ Noord-Holland-Noord, Heerhugowaard, the Netherlands
| | - Amy Pinkham
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, USA
| | - Kelsey A. Ludwig
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Jorge Alamansa
- Department of Psychology, City, University of London, London, UK
| | | | - David L. Penn
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- School of Behavioural and Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Philip D. Harvey
- University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
- Research Service, Bruce W. Carter Medical Center, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Anne-Kathrin Fett
- Department of Psychology, City, University of London, London, UK
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London, London, UK
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Gatti D, Stagnitto SM, Basile C, Mazzoni G, Vecchi T, Rinaldi L, Lecce S. Individual differences in theory of mind correlate with the occurrence of false memory: A study with the DRM task. Q J Exp Psychol (Hove) 2023; 76:2107-2121. [PMID: 36245220 DOI: 10.1177/17470218221135178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Although long-term memory and Theory of Mind (ToM) are closely related across the whole lifespan, little is known about the relationship between ToM and semantic memory. Clinical studies have documented the co-occurrence of ToM impairments and semantic memory abnormalities in individuals with autism or semantic dementia. However, to date, no study has directly investigated the existence of a relationship between ToM and semantic memory in the typical population. We addressed this gap on a sample of 103 healthy adults (M age = 22.96 years; age range = 19-35 years). Participants completed a classical false memory task tapping on semantic processes, the Deese-Roediger-McDermott (DRM) task, and two ToM tasks, the Triangles and the Reading the Mind in the Eyes task. They also completed the vocabulary scale from the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale. Results showed that participants' semantic performance in the DRM task was significantly related to that in the Triangles task. Specifically, the higher participants' ToM in the Triangles task, the higher participants' reliance on semantic memory while making false memories in the DRM task. Our findings are consistent with the Fuzzy Trace Theory and the Weak Central Coherence account and suggest that a (partially) common cognitive process responsible for global versus detailed-focus information processing could underlie these two abilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniele Gatti
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | | | - Chiara Basile
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Giuliana Mazzoni
- Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, University La Sapienza, Rome, Italy
- School of Life Sciences, University of Hull, Hull, UK
| | - Tomaso Vecchi
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
- Cognitive Psychology Unit, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
| | - Luca Rinaldi
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
- Cognitive Psychology Unit, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
| | - Serena Lecce
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
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Eddy CM. The non-human animal reading the mind in the eyes test (NARMET): A new measure for the assessment of social cognition. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1129252. [PMID: 37020731 PMCID: PMC10069677 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1129252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The Reading the Mind in the Eyes test (RMET) is a widely applied test of social cognition, based on mental state judgments in response to photographs of human eyes, which can elicit impairment in patients with numerous psychiatric and neurological disorders. However, interpretation of task performance is limited without the use of appropriate control tasks. In addition to a matched task requiring age judgments of the RMET stimuli, it was recently shown that a mental state judgment task of comparable difficulty, could be developed using photographs of domestic cat eyes. The current study aimed to further develop a Non-human Animal RMET (NARMET) by testing additional stimuli in the form of photographs of domestic dog eyes. A variety of additional tasks were used alongside the eyes test stimuli in a large sample of healthy young adults, to explore how alexithymia, schizotypal features, and autistic tendencies may differentially influence mental state attribution in response to cat, dog, and human eyes test stimuli. The resulting NARMET features both cat and dog trials, depicting a similar range of complex mental states to the human RMET. It shows favorable psychometric properties as well as being well matched to the RMET in terms of linguistic variables, length and difficulty. However, reading measures predicted performance on the RMET, but not on the NARMET. Although further testing is required in samples with a higher proportion of males, future application of the NARMET in neuropsychiatric populations exhibiting cognitive and behavioral difficulties could offer enhanced assessment of social cognitive skills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clare M. Eddy
- BSMHFT National Centre for Mental Health, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- *Correspondence: Clare M. Eddy, ,
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Woodward SH, Jamison AL, Khan C, Gala S, Bhowmick C, Villasenor D, Tamayo G, Puckett M, Parker KJ. Reading the mind in the eyes in PTSD: Limited Moderation by the presence of a service dog. J Psychiatr Res 2022; 155:320-330. [PMID: 36174367 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2022.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Revised: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Persons with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) frequently experience relationship failures in family and occupational domains resulting in loss of social supports. Prior research has implicated impairments in social cognition. The Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET) measures a key component of social cognition, the ability to infer the internal states of other persons based on features of the eyes region of the face; however, studies administering this popular test to persons with PTSD have yielded mixed results. This study assessed RMET performance in 47 male U.S. military Veterans with chronic, severe PTSD. Employing a within-subjects design that avoided selection biases, it aimed specifically to determine whether components of RMET performance, including accuracy, response latency, and stimulus dwell time, were improved by the company of a service dog, an intervention that has improved social function in other populations. RMET accuracies and response latencies in this PTSD sample were in the normal range. The presence of a familiar service dog did not improve RMET accuracy, reduce response latencies, or increase dwell times. Dog presence increased the speed of visual scanning perhaps consistent with reduced social fear.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven H Woodward
- National Center for PTSD, Dissemination and Training Division, VA Palo Alto Healthcare System, 3801 Miranda Ave, Palo Alto, CA, 94304, USA.
| | - Andrea L Jamison
- National Center for PTSD, Dissemination and Training Division, VA Palo Alto Healthcare System, 3801 Miranda Ave, Palo Alto, CA, 94304, USA
| | - Christina Khan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, 401 Quarry Rd., Stanford, CA, 94305-5485, USA
| | - Sasha Gala
- National Center for PTSD, Dissemination and Training Division, VA Palo Alto Healthcare System, 3801 Miranda Ave, Palo Alto, CA, 94304, USA
| | - Chloe Bhowmick
- National Center for PTSD, Dissemination and Training Division, VA Palo Alto Healthcare System, 3801 Miranda Ave, Palo Alto, CA, 94304, USA
| | - Diana Villasenor
- National Center for PTSD, Dissemination and Training Division, VA Palo Alto Healthcare System, 3801 Miranda Ave, Palo Alto, CA, 94304, USA
| | - Gisselle Tamayo
- National Center for PTSD, Dissemination and Training Division, VA Palo Alto Healthcare System, 3801 Miranda Ave, Palo Alto, CA, 94304, USA
| | - Melissa Puckett
- Trauma Recovery Programs and Recreation Service, VA Palo Alto Healthcare System, 3801 Miranda Ave, Palo Alto, CA, 94304, USA
| | - Karen J Parker
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, 401 Quarry Rd., Stanford, CA, 94305-5485, USA; Department of Comparative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, 300 Pasteur Drive, Stanford, CA, 94305-5342, USA
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Melby K, Spigset O, Gråwe RW, Aamo TO, Quintana DS. The effect of intranasal oxytocin on processing emotional stimuli during alcohol withdrawal: A randomized placebo-controlled double-blind clinical trial. Horm Behav 2022; 146:105268. [PMID: 36242831 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2022] [Revised: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol dependence is associated with difficulties in processing emotional stimuli, which can lead to interpersonal problems. The neuropeptide oxytocin has been shown to modulate the processing of emotional stimuli, however, oxytocin treatment has not yet been examined in patients with withdrawal symptoms during alcohol detoxification. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of oxytocin on the reading the mind in the eyes test (RMET), which indexes theory of mind ability, during a three-day period of alcohol detoxification at an addiction treatment centre in Norway. We performed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 39 patients fulfilling criteria for ICD-10 diagnosis of alcohol dependence admitted for alcohol detoxification and withdrawal treatment. Participants were randomized to receive either intranasal oxytocin (24 IU) or placebo, twice daily for three days. We evaluated RMET performance on day 2 and day 3 of detoxification and differences in RMET scores between day 2 and day 3 of detoxification. Frequentist and Bayesian statistical inference suggested that oxytocin administration during alcohol withdrawal in alcohol-dependent patients did not improve RMET performance. However, exploratory analyses provided preliminary evidence that oxytocin might improve performance on the RMET negative emotion subscale (uncorrected p value = 0.038), and that oxytocin treatment might show the most promise for those with high levels of alcohol consumption (i.e., ≥20 alcohol units per day; uncorrected p value = 0.023). Moreover, alcohol consumption levels significantly predicted RMET performance on day 2, but not on day 3, of withdrawal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrine Melby
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, St. Olav University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway.
| | - Olav Spigset
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, St. Olav University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway; Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology - NTNU, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Rolf W Gråwe
- Department of Mental Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology - NTNU, Trondheim, Norway; Department of Research and Development, Division of Psychiatry, St. Olav University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Trond O Aamo
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, St. Olav University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway; Blue Cross Lade Addiction Treatment Centre, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Daniel S Quintana
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; NevSom, Department of Rare Disorders, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway; Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT) and KG Jebsen Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
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11
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Higgins WC, Ross RM, Langdon R, Polito V. The "Reading the Mind in the Eyes" Test Shows Poor Psychometric Properties in a Large, Demographically Representative U.S. Sample. Assessment 2022:10731911221124342. [PMID: 36124391 DOI: 10.1177/10731911221124342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The Reading the Mind in the Eyes test (RMET) is a widely used measure of theory of mind (ToM). Despite its popularity, there are questions regarding the RMET's psychometric properties. In the current study, we examined the RMET in a representative U.S. sample of 1,181 adults. Key analyses included conducting an exploratory factor analysis on the full sample and examining whether there is a different factor structure in individuals with high versus low scores on the 28-item autism spectrum quotient (AQ-28). We identified overlapping, but distinct, three-factor models for the full sample and the two subgroups. In all cases, each of the three models showed inadequate model fit. We also found other limitations of the RMET, including that nearly a quarter of the RMET items did not meet the criteria for inclusion in the RMET that were established in the original validation study. Due to the RMET's weak psychometric properties and the uncertain validity of individual items, as indicated by our study and previous studies, we conclude that significant caution is warranted when using the RMET as a measure of ToM.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Robert M Ross
- Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Robyn Langdon
- Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Vince Polito
- Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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Hadjikhani N, Galazka M, Kenet T, Joseph R, Åsberg Johnels J. Discrepancy between high non-verbal intelligence and low accuracy at reading emotional expressions in the eyes reflects the magnitude of social-emotional difficulties in autism. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2022; 273:755-759. [PMID: 35980452 PMCID: PMC10085919 DOI: 10.1007/s00406-022-01471-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Many so-called "high functioning" autistic individuals struggle with daily living skills, and have poorer than expected adult outcomes in employment, relationships, and quality of life. Significant discrepancies between non-verbal intelligence and emotional processing can be observed in autism, but the role of the magnitude of this gap in achieving potential psychosocial outcome is not known. Here, we show in a large group of participants (n = 107), that only among those with an autism diagnosis (n = 33), the gap between non-verbal intelligence (as measured by Raven's matrices) and the ability to perform the Reading the Mind in the Eyes test significantly predicts self-perceived emotional/social difficulties as assessed by the Empathy Quotient. Our results suggest that it is specifically the magnitude of the gap between (high) levels of abstract reasoning skills and poor proficiency in reading emotions expressed by the eyes that predicts self-perceived difficulties in emotional and social interactions among adults with autism. A better understanding of the underlying causes of the discrepancy between potential and actual psychosocial outcomes is the first step toward developing the most appropriate support for this vulnerable population, and our study offers some potentially important insights in this regard.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nouchine Hadjikhani
- Harvard/MGH Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Boston, MA, USA. .,Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
| | - Martyna Galazka
- Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Tal Kenet
- Harvard/MGH Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Robert Joseph
- Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
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Pavlova MA, Sokolov AA. Reading language of the eyes. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 140:104755. [PMID: 35760388 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Revised: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The need for assessment of social skills in clinical and neurotypical populations has led to the widespread, and still increasing use of the 'Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test' (RMET) developed more than two decades ago by Simon Baron-Cohen and colleagues for evaluation of social cognition in autism. By analyzing most recent clinical and brain imaging data, we illuminate a set of factors decisive for using the RMET. Converging evidence indicates: (i) In neurotypical individuals, RMET scores are tightly correlated with other social skills (empathy, emotional intelligence, and body language reading); (ii) The RMET assesses recognition of facial affect, but also heavily relies on receptive language skills, semantic knowledge, and memory; (iii) RMET performance is underwritten by the large-scale ensembles of neural networks well-outside the social brain; (iv) The RMET is limited in its capacity to differentiate between neuropsychiatric conditions as well as between stages and severity of a single disorder, though it reliably distinguishes individuals with altered social cognition or elevated pathological traits from neurotypical persons; (v) Merely gender (as a social construct) rather than neurobiological sex influences performance on the RMET; (vi) RMET scores do not substantially decline in healthy aging, and they are higher with higher education level, cognitive abilities, literacy, and mental well-being; (vii) Accuracy on the RMET, and engagement of the social brain, are greater when emotions are expressed and recognized by individuals with similar cultural/ethnic background. Further research is required to better inform usage of the RMET as a tool for swift and reliable examination of social cognition. In light of comparable visual input from the RMET images and faces covered by masks due to COVID-19 regulations, the analysis is of value for keeping efficient social interaction during the current pandemic, in particular, in professional settings related to social communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina A Pavlova
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Menthal Health (TüCMH), Medical School and University Hospital, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Arseny A Sokolov
- Service de neuropsychologie et de neuroréhabilitation, Département des neurosciences cliniques, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland
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Pavlova MA, Sokolov AA. Reading Covered Faces. Cereb Cortex 2021; 32:249-265. [PMID: 34521105 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Revised: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Covering faces with masks, due to mandatory pandemic safety regulations, we can no longer rely on the habitual daily-life information. This may be thought-provoking for healthy people, but particularly challenging for individuals with neuropsychiatric and neurodevelopmental conditions. Au fait research on reading covered faces reveals that: 1) wearing masks hampers facial affect recognition, though it leaves reliable inferring basic emotional expressions; 2) by buffering facial affect, masks lead to narrowing of emotional spectrum and dampen veridical evaluation of counterparts; 3) masks may affect perceived face attractiveness; 4) covered (either by masks or other veils) faces have a certain signal function introducing perceptual biases and prejudices; 5) reading covered faces is gender- and age-specific, being more challenging for males and more variable even in healthy aging; 6) the hampering effects of masks on social cognition occur over the globe; and 7) reading covered faces is likely to be supported by the large-scale assemblies of the neural circuits far beyond the social brain. Challenges and limitations of ongoing research and parallels to the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test are assessed. Clarification of how masks affect face reading in the real world, where we deal with dynamic faces and have entrée to additional valuable social signals such as body language, as well as the specificity of neural networks underlying reading covered faces calls for further tailored research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina A Pavlova
- Social Neuroscience Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School and University Hospital, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, and Tübingen Center for Mental Health (TüCMH), Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | - Arseny A Sokolov
- Service de neuropsychologie et de neuroréhabilitation, Département des neurosciences cliniques, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV), Lausanne 1011, Switzerland
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Eddy CM. What Do You Have in Mind? Measures to Assess Mental State Reasoning in Neuropsychiatric Populations. Front Psychiatry 2019; 10:425. [PMID: 31354534 PMCID: PMC6636467 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2019] [Accepted: 05/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Social interaction is closely associated with both functional capacity and well-being. Previous research has not only revealed evidence of social dysfunction in individuals with a wide range of psychiatric and neurological disorders but also generated an abundance of potential measures for assessing social cognition. This review explores the most popular measures used within neuropsychiatric populations to investigate the ability to recognize or reason about the mental states of others. Measures are also critically analyzed in terms of strengths and limitations to aid task selection in future clinical studies. The most frequently applied assessment tools use verbal, visual or audiovisual forms of presentation and assess recognition of mental states from facial features, self-rated empathy, the understanding of other's cognitive mental states such as beliefs and intentions, or the ability to combine knowledge of other's thoughts and emotions in order to understand subtle communications or socially inappropriate behavior. Key weaknesses of previous research include limited investigation of relationships with clinical symptoms, and underutilization of measures of everyday social functioning that offer a useful counterpart to traditional "lab" tasks. Future studies should aim to carefully select measures not only based on the range of skills to be assessed but also taking into account potential difficulties with interpretation and the need to gain insight into the application of social cognitive skills as well as ability per se. Some of the best measures include those with well-matched control trials (e.g., Yoni Task) or those that restrict the influence of verbal deficits (e.g., intentions comic strip task), elicit spontaneous mentalizing (e.g., Animations Task), and possess greater ecological validity (e.g., Movie for the Assessment of Social Cognition). Social cognitive research within psychiatric populations will be further enhanced through the development of more closely matched control tasks, and the exploration of relationships between task performance, medication, strategy use, and broader emotional and motor functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clare M. Eddy
- Research and Innovation, BSMHFT National Centre for Mental Health, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
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