Brief Description

These assessments (verbal and non-verbal) are designed to evaluate the social-cognitive mechanism known as Theory of Mind (ToM). They consist of two main tools: the Revised Eyes Test and the Picture-Sequencing Task. The Revised Eyes Test includes 36 images of eyes displaying emotional and attitudinal expressions. For each image, the participant selects which of four words best describes the mental or emotional state depicted. The Picture-Sequencing Task includes four types of story sequences (logical, physical, simple mental, and complex mental) and measures the ability to understand mental states and intentions.

Purpose

The assessments aim to measure empathy, social perception, and the ability to understand others’ mental states. Theory of Mind is a fundamental skill for forming social relationships and empathetic understanding, and it is known to be impaired in conditions such as autism and schizophrenia.

Scoring Method

In the Revised Eyes Test, each correct answer scores 1 point, with total scores ranging from 0 to 36. Higher scores indicate greater ability to recognize mental states.
In the Picture-Sequencing Task, scoring is based on the correct placement of the first and last image in each story. Each story is scored from 0 to 6, with a total possible score of 24.
In the False Belief & Deception Stories, responses are scored as follows: 2 points for full, direct answers using ToM-related expressions, 1 point for partially correct or indirect answers, and 0 for incorrect or absent answers. Memory questions receive 1 point for correct answers. The final score is the sum of all responses across the tasks.

Validity

These tasks are based on widely accepted protocols (Baron-Cohen et al., Frith & Corcoran, Langdon et al.) and are both theoretically and empirically validated as measures of social cognition and mental state inference. Their ability to distinguish between clinical and non-clinical populations supports their construct validity.

Reliability

While no specific internal consistency indices are reported for the image-based items, both the Eyes Test and the False Belief Stories have shown replicable and stable results across various adult and clinical samples, indicating satisfactory reliability.

Data Analysis and Usage

These assessments are primarily used with adults, especially in studies involving individuals with high-functioning autism, Asperger syndrome, and schizophrenia. They support differential diagnosis, research on social cognition, and evaluation of psychotherapeutic or educational interventions. They have been applied to Greek populations in research and diagnostic contexts.

Key References

Baron-Cohen, S., Wheelwright, S., Raste, Y., & Plumb, I. (2001). The “reading the mind in the eyes” test revised version: A study with normal adults, and adults with Asperger syndrome or high-functioning autism. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 42(2), 241–251.
Frith, C. D., & Corcoran, R. (1996). Exploring “theory of mind” in people with schizophrenia. Psychological Medicine, 26, 521–530.
Langdon, R., Michie, P. T., & Coltheart, M. (1997). Defective self and/or other mentalizing in schizophrenia: A cognitive neuropsychology approach. Cognitive Neuropsychiatry, 2(3), 167–193.