Brief Description

The task consists of 14 stories, each accompanied by questions that assess the understanding of mental states and the interpretation of social interactions. The participant reads or listens to the stories and answers questions related to the recognition of first- and second-order false beliefs, as well as the understanding of inappropriate social behavior. The stories are designed to evaluate Theory of Mind—that is, the individual’s ability to attribute mental states, intentions, beliefs, and emotions both to themselves and to others.

Purpose

The aim of the task is to assess Theory of Mind, with a focus on identifying first- and second-order false beliefs and understanding situations in which someone violates social norms without being aware of it—i.e., the Faux Pas phenomenon.

Scoring Method

Each answer is scored with one point. If, in the first question of a story, it is determined that the participant failed to identify something that should not have been said or done, the following questions for that story are omitted. The total score is calculated cumulatively, with the maximum possible score depending on the number of stories fully completed.

Validity

The validity of the tool is currently under development. It is expected to be examined through comparative studies with other Theory of Mind tasks and by correlating it with clinical characteristics of individuals who exhibit impairments in social perception.

Reliability

The reliability of the task is also under development. Data on internal consistency and test-retest reliability are expected from population samples with and without psychopathology.

Data Analysis and Use

The analysis of the task’s data can contribute to understanding the functional level of Theory of Mind in individuals with neuropsychiatric or developmental disorders, as well as identifying deficits in social perception. The results may be used for diagnostic, research, and educational purposes, particularly in settings where social cognition and empathic capacity are evaluated.

References

Dolan, M., & Fullam, R. (2004). Theory of mind and mentalizing abilities in antisocial personality disorders with and without psychopathy. Psychological Medicine, 24, 1093–1112.
Frith, C. D., & Corcoran, R. (1996). Exploring theory of mind in people with schizophrenia. Psychological Medicine, 26, 521–530.