Reading the Mind in the Eyes Task¶
HED task ID: hedtsk_reading_the_mind_in_the_eyes
Family: Social cognition and social choice tasks
Also known as: RMET, Eyes Test, Baron-Cohen Eyes Task, Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test
Choice of the best-matching mental-state word for a photograph of the eye region; accuracy indexes complex emotion and mental-state inference.
Description¶
Participants view photographs showing only the eye and eyebrow region of actors and select which of four mental state descriptors best describes the person’s thoughts or feelings. The revised version contains 36 photographs, each with four choices ranging from basic emotions to complex cognitive states (e.g., “sarcastic,” “despondent”). The task indexes affective theory of mind and shows deficits in autism spectrum conditions. Performance correlates with amygdala and left inferior frontal gyrus activity.
Inclusion test¶
An experiment is an instance of this task when its procedure matches, it manipulates at least one of the listed variables, and it records at least one of the listed measures.
Procedure |
Participants view photographs of the eye region of faces and select the mental state (from four word options) that best describes what the person is thinking or feeling. |
Manipulation |
Number of items (typically 36); response options; presentation duration; basic vs. complex mental states. |
Measurement |
Total correct; comparison to normative data; errors by emotion category. |
Variations¶
Named versions that change what the participant experiences or does. The identifier
of a variation is hedvar_<task>__<variation>.
Variation |
Description |
Justification |
|---|---|---|
RMET Revised (36 items)
|
Standard adult version with four-choice forced response. |
Canonical Baron-Cohen RMET with 36-item set |
RMET Short Form (15–18 items)
|
Abbreviated version for rapid screening. |
Abbreviated form; recognized efficient version |
RMET Child Version
|
Adapted stimuli and response options for developmental assessment. |
Simplified vocabulary and reduced items for children; adapted per §5.3 |
Dynamic Eyes Task
|
Video clips of eye movements rather than static photographs. |
Moving eyes instead of static photographs; different stimulus type |
Full-Face vs. Eyes-Only
|
Comparing performance with isolated eyes vs. complete faces. |
Full face context vs. isolated eyes region; different stimulus scope |
Cognitive processes¶
This task is designed to engage the following processes:
Key references¶
Baron-Cohen, S., Wheelwright, S., Hill, J., 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. (DOI, PubMed)
Adams, R. B., Rule, N. O., Franklin, R. G., et al. (2010). Cross-cultural reading the mind in the eyes: An fMRI investigation. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 22(1), 97-108. (DOI, PubMed)
Oakley, B. F. M., Brewer, R., Bird, G., & Catmur, C. (2016). Theory of mind is not theory of emotion: A cautionary note on the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 125(6), 818-823. (DOI, PubMed)
Further references¶
Olderbak, S., Wilhelm, O., Olaru, G., et al. (2015). A psychometric analysis of the Reading the Mind in the Eyes test: Toward a brief form. Frontiers in Psychology, 6, 1503. (DOI, PubMed)
Warrier, V., Grasby, K. L., Uzefovsky, F., et al. (2018). Genome-wide meta-analysis of cognitive empathy: Heritability and correlates with sex, neuropsychiatric conditions and cognition. Molecular Psychiatry, 23(6), 1402–1409. (DOI)
Vellante, M., Baron-Cohen, S., Melis, M., et al. (2013). The “Reading the Mind in the Eyes” test: Systematic review of psychometric properties and a validation study in Italy. Cognitive Neuropsychiatry, 18(4), 326–354. (DOI, PubMed)