A Quick Measure of Theory of Mind in Autistic Adults: Decision Accuracy, Latency and Self-Awareness

J Autism Dev Disord. 2022 Jun;52(6):2479-2496. doi: 10.1007/s10803-021-05166-7. Epub 2021 Jun 28.

Abstract

Autistic adults often experience difficulties in taking the perspective of others, potentially undermining their social interactions. We evaluated a quick, forced-choice version of the Adult Theory of Mind (A-ToM) test, which was designed to assess such difficulties and comprehensively evaluated by Brewer et al. (2017). The forced-choice version (the A-ToM-Q) demonstrated discriminant, concurrent, convergent and divergent validity using samples of autistic (N = 96) and non-autistic adults (N = 75). It can be administered in a few minutes and machine-scored, involves minimal training and facilitates large-scale, live, or web-based testing. It permits measurement of response latency and self-awareness, with response characteristics on both measures enhancing understanding of the nature and extent of perspective taking difficulties in autistic individuals.

Keywords: Autism; Decision latency; Metacognitive monitoring; Theory of Mind assessment.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder* / diagnosis
  • Autistic Disorder* / diagnosis
  • Humans
  • Intelligence Tests
  • Perception
  • Theory of Mind* / physiology