Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET)
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About
Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET) is a 36-question multiple choice test in which a person is tasked with picking the correct emotion by observing a still image of a person's eyes. Created in 1997 by British clinical psychologist Simon Baron-Cohen and widely used as a measure of theory of mind, the test achieved virality on X / Twitter in April 2024, inspiring viral posts and memes.
Origin
In 1997, British clinical psychologist Simon Baron-Cohen, cousin of comic Sasha Baron-Cohen, designed the Reading the Mind in the Eyes test, publishing a revised version in 2001.[1][2] The test consists of 36 close-up photographs of people's eyes and eyebrows, each offering four choices of emotions (examples shown below). The participant is tasked with correctly interpreting the human emotion in each of the photographs.
The test has been used as a measure of social cognitive ability, with lower results associated with neurodivergence (more specifically autism) and higher results associated with neurotypicality. The validity of the test has been put into question by multiple later studies.[3][4]
On April 23rd, 2024, computer scientist Paul Graham wrote about the test on X[5] / Twitter, linking it and reporting that he scored 25 out of 36 and that his wife scored 36 out of 36. The post (shown below) received over 900 reposts and 2,400 likes in one day.
Spread
In the following days, the test saw viral spread on X / Twitter as users shared their results and interpreted them, often humorously.
For example, on April 23rd, 2024, X[6] user @paularambles posted a screenshot of her perfect score, writing that she was asking herself "what would a guy think she’s thinking" when answering questions. The post (shown below) gained over 80 reposts and 1,700 likes in one day. Later that day, X[7] user @MostlyMonkey posted their result, commenting, "I'm never beating the 'neurotypical' allegations." The post (shown below, right) gained over 30 reposts and 220 likes in one day.
The spread of the test was followed by memes referencing it. For example, on April 23rd, 2024, X[8] user @MarlovMagnifico posted an image of Shogun character Lady Mariko paired with four choices from the test. The meme (shown below) gained over 50 reposts and 850 likes in one day.
Various Examples
Search Interest
External References
[1] Autism Research Center – The 'Reading the Mind in the Eyes' Test Revised Version
[2] Embrace Autism – Reading the Mind in the Eyes test
[3] ScienceDirect – Construct validity evidence reporting practices for the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test: A systematic scoping review
[4] SageJournals – The 'Reading the Mind in the Eyes' Test Shows Poor Psychometric Properties in a Large, Demographically Representative U.S. Sample
[6] X – @paularambles
[7] X – @MostlyMonkey
[8] X – @MarkovMagnifico
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