Reading the Mind in Eyes Test

The Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET) measures theory of mind or how well individuals can put themselves into the mind of another person and attribute mental states to another person. The test itself takes approximately 20 min to complete and is relatively simple to administer and perform, making it a useful instrument for a variety of populations and settings. The test consists of a series of 37 photographs of the eye region of the face of different actors and actresses. In addition, the test includes instructions, an eight-page word definitions list, a response form, and an answer form. There is one practice stimulus and 36 experimental stimuli. Each of the 37 images has four response options: emotion words that are defined in the provided word definition list. The response form, which is given to the subject, lists the four response options that are presented with the image. The subject is instructed to circle the word that best describes what the person in the picture is thinking or feeling. Further, the subject is told to choose the word that is most suitable for the image even if more than one word feels applicable. The task is not timed, but the subject is instructed to work as quickly and as accurately as possible. The score on the RMET is calculated by counting the number of correct responses. While there are no normative data or scores, there are published averages for different populations.