Theory of mind and emotion-recognition functioning in autistic spectrum disorders and in psychiatric control and normal children

• Published in: Development and psychopathology 1999, Vol.11 (1), p.39-58
• Main Authors: BUITELAAR, JAN K., VAN DER WEES, MARLEEN, SWAAB–BARNEVELD, HANNA, VAN DER GAAG, RUTGER JAN
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity - diagnosis; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity - psychology; Autistic Disorder - diagnosis; Autistic Disorder - psychology; Child; Child Behavior Disorders - diagnosis; Child Behavior Disorders - psychology; Child Development Disorders, Pervasive - diagnosis; Child Development Disorders, Pervasive - psychology; Dysthymic Disorder - diagnosis; Dysthymic Disorder - psychology; Emotions; Female; Humans; Interpersonal Relations; Male; Personality Assessment; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; Reference Values; Social Perception
• ISSN: 0954-5794; 1469-2198
• DOI: 10.1017/S0954579499001947

The hypothesis was tested that weak theory of mind (ToM) and/or emotion recognition (ER) abilities are specific to subjects with autism. Differences in ToM and ER performance were examined between autistic (n = 20), pervasive developmental disorder—not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS) (n = 20), psychiatric control (n = 20), and normal children (n = 20). The clinical groups were matched person-to-person on age and verbal IQ. We used tasks for the matching and the context recognition of emotional expressions, and a set of first- and second-order ToM tasks. Autistic and PDD-NOS children could not be significantly differentiated from each other, nor could they be differentiated from the psychiatric controls with a diagnosis of ADHD (n = 9). The psychiatric controls with conduct disorder or dysthymia performed about as well as normal children. The variance in second-order ToM performance contributed most to differences between diagnostic groups.