Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30052646›Full record

ArticlePloS one2018

The Cambridge Sympathy Test: Self-reported sympathy and distress in autism.

Rosemary Holt, Jessica Upadhyay, Paula Smith, Carrie Allison, Simon Baron-Cohen, Bhismadev Chakrabarti

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
0.6field-weighted citation impact, top 33% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 12 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Rosemary HoltAutism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0002-3650-0977
Jessica UpadhyayExeter University Medical School, Exeter, United Kingdom.
Paula SmithAutism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
Carrie AllisonAutism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
Simon Baron-CohenAutism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
Bhismadev ChakrabartiAutism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
University of Cambridge · GBUniversity of Exeter · GB

Funding

Medical Research Council G0600977
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundDifficulties with aspects of social interaction, including empathy, comprise a core symptom of autism spectrum conditions (autism). Sympathy is a specific form of empathy and involves both cognitive and affective empathy. Data are presented from a new task of self-reported sympathy and personal distress.

methodsParticipants with autism (93 males; 161 females) and controls (40 males, 93 females) took part in an online survey via the Autism Research Centre or Cambridge Psychology websites. Participants completed a task where they were asked to rate photographic images that were either of distressing, neutral or happy scenes, according to the amount of sympathy they had for the individual in the photo and the degree of personal distress they felt. All participants also completed the Empathy Quotient (EQ).

resultsSignificant differences were found between the autism and control groups for both self-reported sympathy and personal distress, with participants with autism giving lower ratings than controls. Control females scored significantly higher than control males in both sympathy and distress. Sympathy and distress ratings in the autism group did not differ significantly by sex. EQ showed positive correlations with sympathy and distress scores.

conclusionsUsing a new measure of self-reported sympathy, we found that both males and females with autism gave lower ratings of sympathy when viewing people in distressing scenarios, compared to controls.

Indexed as

AdolescentAdultAgedAutism Spectrum DisorderCase-Control StudiesEmpathyFemaleHumansInternetMaleMiddle AgedPhotographyPsychological TestsSelf ReportSurveys and Questionnaires

Identifiers

PMID30052646
PMCPMC6063395
OpenAlexW2884151483

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.