Science lovers, how do you score on this?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around an online quiz related to the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) and how various participants score on it. The conversation includes personal scores, reflections on the implications of those scores, and the potential relationship between the quiz and traits associated with being analytical or scientifically minded. Participants share their scores and engage in light-hearted commentary about the results.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants report their scores, with values ranging from 14 to 46.
  • One participant notes that the average score among forum users appears to be around 27, with a standard deviation of about 8.87.
  • Several participants express uncertainty about the implications of their scores, with some suggesting that the quiz may reflect analytical or social tendencies.
  • There are discussions about the potential gender bias in the quiz, with some participants speculating that it may serve as a gender-detecting test.
  • One participant mentions that the quiz was developed by Simon Baron-Cohen and discusses its relevance to autism traits.
  • Another participant raises concerns about the relevance of certain questions in the quiz to diagnosing autism.
  • Some participants reflect on their personal experiences and how their scores might differ based on life changes or conditions like ADD.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally share their scores and engage in light banter about the average score, but there is no consensus on the implications of the scores or the validity of the quiz itself. Multiple competing views remain regarding the interpretation of the results and the nature of the quiz.

Contextual Notes

Participants express varying levels of familiarity with the quiz and its purpose, with some not fully understanding the context before taking it. There are also discussions about the ambiguity of certain questions and their applicability to individual experiences.

  • #91
Score: 33
 
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  • #93
I got 33
 
  • #94
I scored 15.
 
  • #95
DaveC426913 said:
Tests like this make sense to those to whom they are targeted; they will know exactly what that sentence means. If the question don't make sense to you, that's a clue that you're not the target.


It means you're ADHD. It's a wonder you finished the test! :biggrin:

Well I didn't finish school, so it balances out.
 
  • #96
25. I can say for certain I'm not autistic or aspberger's, because I've had a full neuropsych evaluation - since I do have ADHD.

On a similar test they use for that I had 64/72, median and mean was 16.

Don't think it had much to do with any science acumen, although it might've pushed me towards physics. Less rote memorization, which is something difficult to focus on. (OTOH I do actually have a good memory, which is why I actually managed in school. Low attention-high retention)
 
  • #97
Score: 26

So I guess I don't have autism or asperger's... lol
 
  • #98
I don't get why people are saying, "I scored low so I guess I'm not autistic." Just because you score high on some 5-minute test designed by some British psychologist doesn't mean you have a brain disease...
 
  • #99
>> not a physicist

11

I'm not very social, but I have a "political" job
 
  • #100
score: 14
 
  • #101
Quincy said:
I don't get why people are saying, "I scored low so I guess I'm not autistic." Just because you score high on some 5-minute test designed by some British psychologist doesn't mean you have a brain disease...

You're right it doesn't mean, and typically they believe Asperger's/High Functioning Autism isn't a brain disease but rather a disorder (impairment in some area of life to the point professional help is needed. Also this test doesn't say one has it or not but rather traits associated with it, the key is if it's actually impairing one's life/human interactions. However something quite important to consider, you know how in the Scientific Method they have a control and experimental group? Well they've done the same thing with this AQ test in scientific peer-review journals, gave a control group (regular population) and an experimental group (those who have actually been diagnosed) and compared their means and standard deviations.

The general population averaged 16.4 and the Asperger/High Functioning Autistic group averaged 35.8. The standard deviation (or loosely an average deviation) for the general population was 6.3, and for AS/HFA group 6.5. 80% of AS/HFA scored above 32, however only 2% of the general population scored above that. Some food for thought, although it doesn't prove, it may be good reason for looking into a diagnosis if you score very high AND if you think you have social/other impairments. The reason I brought this to physicsforums was because Science majors scored slightly higher than the general population but not high enough to be in the AS/HFA range. So having a scientific mind I wanted to test it for myself (and found that this forum was a lot higher than the general population, even if mostly not high enough).

Reference: Scientific journal article which can be reviewed by other scientists

S. Baron-Cohen, S. Wheelwright, R. Skinner, J. Martin and E. Clubley, (2001)
The Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) : Evidence from Asperger Syndrome/High Functioning Autism, Males and Females, Scientists and Mathematicians
Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders 31:5-17

http://autismresearchcentre.com/tests/aq_test.asp for a link where you can get it in PDF format.

Other peer-review research articles from the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders and Brain Research can be viewed in PDF form that link also.
 
  • #102
27Thousand said:
You're right it doesn't mean, and typically they believe Asperger's/High Functioning Autism isn't a brain disease but rather a disorder (impairment in some area of life to the point professional help is needed. Also this test doesn't say one has it or not but rather traits associated with it, the key is if it's actually impairing one's life/human interactions. However something quite important to consider, you know how in the Scientific Method they have a control and experimental group? Well they've done the same thing with this AQ test in scientific peer-review journals, gave a control group (regular population) and an experimental group (those who have actually been diagnosed) and compared their means and standard deviations.

The general population averaged 16.4 and the Asperger/High Functioning Autistic group averaged 35.8. The standard deviation (or loosely an average deviation) for the general population was 6.3, and for AS/HFA group 6.5. 80% of AS/HFA scored above 32, however only 2% of the general population scored above that. Some food for thought, although it doesn't prove, it may be good reason for looking into a diagnosis if you score very high AND if you think you have social/other impairments. The reason I brought this to physicsforums was because Science majors scored slightly higher than the general population but not high enough to be in the AS/HFA range. So having a scientific mind I wanted to test it for myself (and found that this forum was a lot higher than the general population, even if mostly not high enough).

Reference: Scientific journal article which can be reviewed by other scientists

S. Baron-Cohen, S. Wheelwright, R. Skinner, J. Martin and E. Clubley, (2001)
The Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) : Evidence from Asperger Syndrome/High Functioning Autism, Males and Females, Scientists and Mathematicians
Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders 31:5-17

http://autismresearchcentre.com/tests/aq_test.asp for a link where you can get it in PDF format.

Other peer-review research articles from the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders and Brain Research can be viewed in PDF form that link also.

Well, if one scores high on this test, then most likely they are antisocial or shy, but being autistic is much more than just being socially impaired.
 
  • #103
I can't recall anyone saying the test was a diagnosis. It is most likely designed to be an aid to diagnosisor to see whether referral for diagnosis would be beneficial.
 
  • #104
I got 9
 
  • #105
Mech_Engineer said:
I got 9

I think Mech_Engineer is a party animal :smile:.
 

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