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Movie for the Assessment of Social Cognition (MASC): Spanish Validation

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Abstract

We present the Spanish validation of the “Movie for the Assessment of Social Cognition” instrument (MASC-SP). We recruited 22 adolescents and young adults with Asperger syndrome and 26 participants with typical development. The MASC-SP and three other social cognition instruments (Ekman Pictures of Facial Affect test, Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test, and Happé’s Strange Stories) were administered to both groups. Individuals with Asperger syndrome had significantly lower scores in all measures of social cognition. The MASC-SP showed strong correlations with all three measures and relative independence of general cognitive functions. Internal consistency was optimal (0.86) and the test–retest was good. The MASC-SP is an ecologically valid and useful tool for assessing social cognition in the Spanish population.

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Notes

  1. The recruitment and evaluation phases of this project were completed in the period 2011-2012, before the publishing and adoption of DSM-5.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to Isabel Dziobek for her cession of the original instrument and her help during the adaptation process. We also acknowledge the ERA-NET NEURON (Network of European Funding for Neuroscience Research) for its support.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Psychiatry/Medical Specialities Department, Faculty of Medicine, University of Alcalá, Campus Científico-Tecnológico, Ctra. Madrid-Barcelona Km 33,600, 28871, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain

    G. Lahera

  2. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain

    L. Boada, G. Morón-Nozaleda & M. Parellada

  3. Salut Mental Parc Taulí, Parc Taulí, Sabadell, Hospital Universitari, UAB Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Campus d’Excel.lència Internacional, 08193, Bellaterra, Spain

    E. Pousa, L. Gisbert & M. Pamiàs

  4. Department of Psychiatry, Príncipe de Asturias University Hospital, University of Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain

    I. Mirapeix & L. Marinas

Authors
  1. G. Lahera
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  2. L. Boada
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  3. E. Pousa
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  4. I. Mirapeix
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  5. G. Morón-Nozaleda
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  6. L. Marinas
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  7. L. Gisbert
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  8. M. Pamiàs
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  9. M. Parellada
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to G. Lahera.

Additional information

The audiovisual instrument MASC-SP is freely available upon request from the corresponding author (G. Lahera) and I. Dziobek.

Appendix 1: Examples of the MASC video images (Montag et al. 2011)

Appendix 1: Examples of the MASC video images (Montag et al. 2011)

English version

Cliff is the first one to arrive at Sandra’s house for the dinner party. He and Sandra seem to enjoy themselves when Cliff is talking about his vacation in Sweden. When Michael arrives, he dominates the conversation, directing his speech to Sandra alone.

Slightly annoyed by Michael’s bragging story, Sandra looks briefly in Cliff’s direction and then asks Michael: “Tell me, have you ever been to Sweden?”

Question: Why is Sandra asking this?

  1. (a)

    to integrate Cliff into the conversation (correct)

  2. (b)

    to get back to the topic of Sweden (undermentalizing: no ToM)

  3. (c)

    to find out if Michael was in Sweden too (undermentalizing: reduced ToM)

  4. (d)

    to be able to compare the two men (overmentalizing)

Spanish versión

Cliff es el primero en llegar a casa de Sonia para la fiesta. Sandra y él parecen estar pasándoselo bien mientras Cliff cuenta sus vacaciones en Suecia. Cuando llega Michael, acapara toda la conversación y se dirige exclusivamente a Sandra.

Ligeramente aburrida por las historietas de Michael, Sandra mira ligeramente en dirección a Cliff y luego pregunta a Michael: “Dime, ¿has estado alguna vez en Suecia?”

Pregunta: ¿Por qué dice esto Sandra?

  1. (a)

    para integrar a Cliff en la conversación (correcta)

  2. (b)

    para volver al tema de las vacaciones en Suecia (baja mentalización; no ToM)

  3. (c)

    para saber si Michael también fue a Suecia (baja mentalización; ToM reducida)

  4. (d)

    para poder comparar entre los dos chicos (sobre-mentalización).

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Lahera, G., Boada, L., Pousa, E. et al. Movie for the Assessment of Social Cognition (MASC): Spanish Validation. J Autism Dev Disord 44, 1886–1896 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-014-2061-6

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