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The Cambridge Mindreading (CAM) Face-Voice Battery: Testing Complex Emotion Recognition in Adults with and without Asperger Syndrome

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Abstract

Adults with Asperger Syndrome (AS) can recognise simple emotions and pass basic theory of mind tasks, but have difficulties recognising more complex emotions and mental states. This study describes a new battery of tasks, testing recognition of 20 complex emotions and mental states from faces and voices. The battery was given to males and females with AS and matched controls. Results showed the AS group performed worse than controls overall, on emotion recognition from faces and voices and on 12/20 specific emotions. Females recognised faces better than males regardless of diagnosis, and males with AS had more difficulties recognising emotions from faces than from voices. The implications of these results are discussed in relation to social functioning in AS.

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Acknowledgments

OG was supported by the Corob Charitable Trust, the Cambridge Overseas Trust and the National Alliance for Autism Research (NAAR). SBC and JH were supported by the Shirley Foundation, Medical Research Council (MRC), and the Three Guineas Trust. We are grateful to our colleagues at Red Green and Blue Ltd, Autism West Midlands, Autism London, European Services for People with Autism (ESPA), and to Chris Ashwin, Sally Wheelwright, Yael Golan and Sarah Johnson.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, Autism Research Centre, Cambridge University, Douglas House, 18b Trumpington Road, CB2 2AH, Cambridge, UK

    Ofer Golan, Simon Baron-Cohen & Jacqueline Hill

  2. Department of Psychiatry, Autism Research Centre, Cambridge University, Douglas House, 18b Trumpington Road, CB2 2AH, Cambridge, UK

    Ofer Golan

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  1. Ofer Golan
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  2. Simon Baron-Cohen
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  3. Jacqueline Hill
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Correspondence to Ofer Golan.

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Golan, O., Baron-Cohen, S. & Hill, J. The Cambridge Mindreading (CAM) Face-Voice Battery: Testing Complex Emotion Recognition in Adults with and without Asperger Syndrome. J Autism Dev Disord 36, 169–183 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-005-0057-y

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