Date of Award

2015

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Honors Thesis

Department

Psychology

Abstract

A great deal of research supports that Theory of Mind (ToM; the ability to make inferences about the emotions, beliefs, and intentions of others) is impaired in people with symptoms of schizophrenia, autism, bipolar disorder, panic disorder, and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), to name a few. The present study focused on OCD, hypothesizing a negative correlation between the presence of OC symptomatology and ToM ability. Participants (N = 179) were undergraduate students from Butler University as well as participants recruited from mental health facilities, hospitals, and other organizations in the Indianapolis area. Participants completed several questionnaires, including measures of ToM (the Reading the Mind in the Eyes test, the Hinting task) and OCD symptoms (the OCI-R). As hypothesized, higher OC levels correlate with lower levels of some aspects of ToM.

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