The ecological validity of TASIT: A test of social perception

The Awareness of Social Inference Test (TASIT) comprises videoed vignettes in three parts assessing (1) emotion recognition, (2) the ability to understand when a conversational inference such as sarcasm is being made, and (3) the ability to differentiate between different kinds of counterfactual comments (lies and sarcasm). Many adults with traumatic brain injuries perform poorly on TASIT relative to normal control subjects. However, the extent to which poor performance on TASIT predicts poor social functioning is unknown. In this study 21 adults with chronic traumatic brain injuries were tested on TASIT. The TBI participants were video-recorded during a spontaneous encounter with a confederate. Their social behaviour was subsequently rated using the Behavioural Referenced Rating System of Intermediate Social Skills-Revised (BRISS-R). In addition a relative or carer was asked to complete the Social Performance Survey Schedule (SPSS). There were significant associations between TASIT and different aspects of spontaneous social behaviour, in particular, the use of humour and partner-directed behaviour. No correlation was found between TASIT performance and the SPSS either Positive or Negative behaviours. These results confirm that failure to recognise social cues on TASIT translates into observable and reliable difficulties in spontaneous social situations.