Validation of the Examination of Autistic Intersubjective Experiences

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Psychopathology
• Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Background:

• Phenomenological interviews have advanced psychopathological research, particularly in schizophrenia.
• No specific phenomenological interview existed for autism-spectrum condition.
• The Examination of Autistic Intersubjective Experience (EAIE) was developed to address this gap.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and validate the EAIE for assessing intersubjectivity in autistic individuals.
• To compare intersubjective experiences between autistic and non-autistic individuals using the EAIE.
• To evaluate the psychometric properties of the EAIE.

Main Methods:

• Conducted the EAIE with 20 autistic and 20 non-autistic participants.
• Assessed internal consistency and interrater/intrarater reliability.
• Analyzed differences in total scores and domain scores between groups.

Main Results:

• Significant differences observed in total EAIE scores and domain scores between autistic and non-autistic groups.
• Good interrater reliability (0.9) and moderate intrarater reliability (0.6) were found.
• Internal consistency was good for total scores but insufficient for individual domains.

Conclusions:

• The EAIE is a viable tool for assessing subjective intersubjectivity anomalies in autistic individuals.
• The EAIE effectively quantifies deviations in social interaction, particularly when focusing on total scores.
• Limitations in domain-specific internal consistency suggest caution for qualitative evaluations.