Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test Scores Demonstrate Poor Structural Properties in Nine Large Non-Clinical Samples

Area of Science:

• Psychological assessment
• Psychometrics
• Social cognition research

Background:

• The Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET) is a widely utilized tool in clinical and non-clinical psychological research.
• Despite its prevalence, the psychometric properties, specifically the structural integrity of RMET scores, have not been thoroughly investigated.

Purpose of the Study:

• To rigorously examine the structural properties of scores derived from the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET).
• To assess the reliability and validity of RMET scores using multiple statistical approaches across diverse datasets.

Main Methods:

• Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was employed to test two theoretically proposed factor models.
• Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was utilized to explore alternative multidimensional factor structures.
• Internal consistency reliability was estimated for the RMET scores across nine independent datasets.

Main Results:

• Neither of the theoretically derived factor models demonstrated a satisfactory fit to the data in any of the nine analyzed datasets.
• No superior fitting multidimensional factor models were identified through exploratory factor analysis.
• While internal consistency metrics were acceptable in six datasets, their interpretation is limited due to the unclear factor structure.

Conclusions:

• The findings suggest significant concerns regarding the reliability and validity of scores obtained from the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET).
• This study adds to a body of evidence questioning the psychometric robustness of the RMET, impacting its use in research and clinical settings.