|
|
Background: His research into Autism using the Sally-Anne test.
Key words:
Theories:
Aim:
Research method:
Experimental Design:
IV:
DV:
Sampling Technique:
Sample:
Results:
Evaluation:
Research Method:
Sample:
+ = Because the adult autistics had difficulty with the Eyes Test, Baron-Cohen was able to show that adult autistics as well as autistic children have mindreading deficits.
Reliability:
+ = standardised procedure:
Usefulness:
Ethical Issues:
Improvements & Implications:
Key words:
Theories:
Aim:
Research method:
Experimental Design:
IV:
DV:
Sampling Technique:
Sample:
- 16 adult high functioning autistics + 12 Aspergers’ Syndrome (13 M, 3 F) recruited from a variety of clinical sources + advert in the National Autistic Society magazine (Communication)
- 50 normal adults (25 male, 25 female) drawn from the general population of Cambridge, matched by age to the autistics
- 10 adult patients with Tourette Syndrome (8 males, 2 female) recruited from a tertiary referral centre in London, age matched to the autistics
Results:
- The autistic adults did not perform as well as the Tourette Syndrome adults on the ‘Eyes Task’.
- There was a greater range in performance in the autistic group.
- The autistic adults performed better than the Tourette Syndrome adults when identifying gender.
- Adult autistics are less likely to possess a TOM than either normal or Tourette Syndrome adults, shown through the ‘Eyes Task’ where their average score was only 16.3 compared to the normal individuals whose score was 20.3 and the Tourette Syndrome adults whose average score was 20.4.
- There are individual differences in relation to TOM which are more prevalent in adults with autism than either normal or Tourette Syndrome adults because there was a greater range of scores in the autistic group (10) than in the normal and Tourette group (9).
Evaluation:
Research Method:
Sample:
+ = Because the adult autistics had difficulty with the Eyes Test, Baron-Cohen was able to show that adult autistics as well as autistic children have mindreading deficits.
Reliability:
+ = standardised procedure:
- All ps watched the same film clips.
- All ps were asked the same questions, except for the critical question.
- All ps experienced the same time-lapse between questioning in the second experiment.
- All ps were asked to give a general account of what they remembered.
- All ps saw the film clips in the same environment, at the same time.
- All ps were given the same standardised instructions.
Usefulness:
Ethical Issues:
Improvements & Implications: