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

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.

Automated summary

A quick, forced-choice version of the Adult Theory of Mind (A-ToM) test was evaluated to assess perspective-taking difficulties in autistic adults, showing discriminant, concurrent, convergent, and divergent validity. The test can be administered quickly, with machine-scoring, minimal training, and is suitable for large-scale, live, or web-based testing. It allows measurement of response latency and self-awareness, enhancing understanding of perspective-taking difficulties in autistic individuals.