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Colloquium credits

Presentation Master thesis - Carlijn Schoonderwoerd- Brain & Cognition

Colloquium credits

Presentation Master thesis - Carlijn Schoonderwoerd- Brain & Cognition

Last modified on 16-10-2025 11:35
The development of a novel test for Theory of Mind using Virtual Reality 
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event-summary.start-date
30-10-2025 11:00
event-summary.end-date
30-10-2025 12:00
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Roeterseilandcampus - Gebouw L, Straat: Nieuwe Achtergracht 129-B, Ruimte: L0.02. Vanwege beperkte zaalcapaciteit is deelname op basis van wie het eerst komt, het eerst maalt. Leraren moeten zich hieraan houden.

Deficits in Theory of Mind (ToM), the ability to attribute mental states, thoughts, and feelings to oneself and others, are observed across various clinical conditions and often lead to difficulties in social functioning. Existing measures of ToM are predominantly pen-and-paper tasks, with low ecological validity. Moreover, these tests often show ceiling effects when administered to adults. Therefore, the present study aimed to develop a novel test for ToM using Virtual Reality (VR) to enhance ecological validity. Forty test items were initially created, of which 22 were selected after expert evaluation and implemented in a VR environment. The test was administered to a sample of 10 cognitively unimpaired Dutch adults to evaluate the feasibility and functionality of the test, obtain initial data on performance, assess internal consistency, and conduct an item analysis. Results indicated acceptable internal consistency (α = .78). Item analysis showed varying difficulty levels, with 11 classified as too easy and 6 showing acceptable difficulty. Future research should focus on revising or removing items to further improve reliability and validity and to reduce test length, enhancing its feasibility for clinical use.