Wiemers, Mark (2016) The Errors We Make When We Read the Mind in the Eyes. Honours thesis, University of Southern Queensland. (Unpublished)
Abstract
With the Reading the Mind in the Eyes test (RME) used widely throughout psychology for the purpose of measuring Theory of Mind (ToM) abilities, research has yet to investigate the errors made on the test. This study investigates if individuals are systematically and confidently selecting distractors (i.e., incorrect responses) throughout the items of the RME, and also if the level of anxiety at the time of implementing the RME has an effect on the ToM errors made from an interpretation bias for threat. A total of 200 participants with no known mental health issues were used and of those, were further categorised into a low anxious state group (n = 128) and a high anxious state group (n = 19) using the Brunel Mood Scale. Distractors above a 12.5% frequency rate threshold, with no other remaining distractor in that item exceeding a 6.5% frequency rate threshold, were identified as those that were systematically selected. The results revealed that eight items on the RME had a distractor that participants were systematically selecting. From these distractors a significantly larger proportion of participants were confident that their answers were the target word, than those who were not confident χ2(1) = 17.83, p < .001 (v = .27). High anxious participants were associated with a distractor in four items on the RME; item 6 χ2(2) = 7.05, p = .030, v = .41 (“Alarmed”), item 12 χ2(2) = 10.22, p = .006, v = .63 (“Dispirited”), item 24 χ2(2) = 9.31, p = .009, v = .47 (“Excited”) item 29 χ2(2) = 8.48, p = .014, v = .38 (“Aghast”). The validity of some items on the RME are in question and it would be suggested that these items are removed from the RME when administering the test to healthy adults, or view the results with caution. Additionally, the results of this study also question the validity of some items on the RME if that individual is in a high state of anxiety during the time of testing, and further suggests that anxious individuals make ToM errors whether it is in a threatening way or not.
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| Item Type: | Thesis (Non-Research) (Honours) |
|---|---|
| Item Status: | Live Archive |
| Additional Information: | Current UniSQ staff and students can request access to this thesis. Please email research.repository@unisq.edu.au with a subject line of SEAR thesis request and provide: Name of the thesis requested and Your name and UniSQ email address |
| Faculty/School / Institute/Centre: | Historic - Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences - School of Psychology and Counselling (1 Jan 2015 - 31 Dec 2021) |
| Supervisors: | Liam Hendry |
| Qualification: | Bachelor of Science (Honours) |
| Date Deposited: | 23 Sep 2025 01:21 |
| Last Modified: | 23 Sep 2025 01:21 |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | reading the mind in the eyes ; Theory of Mind ; error ; state anxiety ; interpretation bias for threat |
| Fields of Research (2008): | 17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 1799 Other Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 179999 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences not elsewhere classified |
| Fields of Research (2020): | 52 PSYCHOLOGY > 5299 Other psychology > 529999 Other psychology not elsewhere classified |
| URI: | https://sear.unisq.edu.au/id/eprint/52882 |
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