Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39096462›Full record

ArticleJournal of autism and developmental disorders2025

Re-Evaluating the Appropriateness of the "Don't Know" Response Option: Guessing Rate as a Source of Systematic Error on Autism Knowledge Assessments.

Camilla M McMahon, Maryellen Brunson McClain, Cassity R Haverkamp, Bryn Harris

Abstract read
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Article in Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

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1citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

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3 · Its place in the literature

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1 citing paper in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Camilla M McMahonDepartment of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Miami University, 1601 University Blvd., Hamilton, OH, 45011, USA. mcmahocm@miamioh.edu.
Maryellen Brunson McClainDepartment of Counseling and Educational Psychology, Indiana University Bloomington, 201 N. Rose Avenue, Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA.
Cassity R HaverkampSouth Point Counseling Services, 1206 S Jordan Pkwy STE D, South Jordan, UT, 84095, USA.
Bryn HarrisSchool of Education and Human Development, University of Colorado Denver, 1380 Lawrence Street, Denver, CO, 80217, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Several autism knowledge assessments include "don't know" as a response option. The inclusion of this response option may lead to systematic error, such that participants' guessing rate affects the measurement of their autism knowledge. This study examines both predictors of guessing rate for autism knowledge and predictors of autism knowledge, including guessing rate. School-based professionals (n = 396) completed the Autism Spectrum Knowledge Scale Professional Version-Revised (ASKSP-R; McClain et al, Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders 50(3):998-1006, 2020). and the Autism Stigma and Knowledge Questionnaire (ASK-Q; Harrison et al, Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders 47(10):3281-3295, 2017). Both assessments include "don't know" as a response option. Guessing rate was the strongest predictor of autism knowledge across both the ASKSP-R and the ASK-Q assessments. For the ASKSP-R, participants who were school psychologists, practicing for more years, had more autism-related clinical experiences, and who personally knew an autistic person had a higher guessing rate. School psychologists and participants who worked with more autistic students scored higher in autism knowledge. For the ASK-Q, participants with greater self-perceived autism knowledge had a higher guessing rate. Participants with a doctorate degree, who personally knew an autistic person, and who worked with more autistic students scored higher in autism knowledge. Guessing rate can be a source of systematic error on autism knowledge assessments. Potential solutions to correct for guessing rate are examined and recommended for future use.

Indexed as

Autism Spectrum DisorderAutistic DisorderHealth Knowledge, Attitudes, PracticeAdultFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedSocial StigmaSurveys and QuestionnairesAutism knowledge“Don’t know” response optionGuessing rateMeasurement errorValidity

Identifiers

PMID39096462
PMCPMC12575532

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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.