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APPENDIX

Examples of Strange Stories^

Story Type: Pretend

Katie and Emma are playing in the house. Emma picks up a bananafrom the fruit bowl and holds it up to her ear. She says to Katie, "Look!This banana is a telephone!"

Is it true what Emma says?

Why does Emma say this?

Story Type: Joke

Today James is going to Claire's house for the first time. He is goingover for tea, and he is looking forward to seeing Claire's dog, which shetalks about all the time. James likes dogs very much. When James arrivesat Claire's house Claire runs to open the door, and her dog jumps up togreet James. Claire's dog is huge, it's almost as big as James! When Jamessees Claire's huge dog he says, "Claire, you haven't got a dog at all. You'vegot an elephant!"

Is it true, what James says?

Why does James say this?

full set of test stories can be obtained from the author.

Source: Happe’ (1994)

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Story Type: Lie

One day, while she is playing in the house, Anna accidentally knocksover and breaks her mother's favorite crystal vase. Oh dear, when motherfinds out she will be very cross! So when Anna's mother comes home andsees the broken vase and asks Anna what happened, Anna says, "The dogknocked it over, it wasn't my fault!"

Was it true, what Anna told her mother?

Why did she say this?

Source: Happe’ (1994)

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Advanced Test of Theory of Mind 149

Story Type: White Eie

Helen waited all year for Christmas, because she knew at Christmasshe could ask her parents for a rabbit. Helen wanted a rabbit more thananything in the world. At last Christmas Day arrived, and Helen ran tounwrap the big box her parents had given her. She felt sure it would containa little rabbit in a cage. But when she opened it, with all the family standinground, she found her present was just a boring old set of encyclopedias,which Helen did not want at all! Still, when Helen's parents asked her howshe liked her Christmas present, she said, "It's lovely, thank you. It's justwhat I wanted."

Is it true, what Helen said?

Why did she say that to her parents?

Story Type: Figure of Speech

Emma has a cough. All through lunch she coughs and coughs andcoughs. Father says, "Poor Emma, you must have a frog in your throat!"

Is it true, what Father says to Emma?

Why does he say that?

Source: Happe’ (1994)

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Story Type: Double Bluff

During the war, the Red army captured a member of the Blue army.They want him to tell them where his army's tanks are; they know theyare either by the sea or in the mountains. They know that the prisonerwill not want to tell them, he will want to save his army, and so he willcertainly tie to them. The prisoner is very brave and very clever, he willnot let them find his tanks. The tanks are really in the mountains. Nowwhen the other side asks him where his tanks are, he says, "They are inthe mountains."

Is it true what the prisoner said?

Where will the other army look for his tanks?

Why did the prisoner say what he said?

Source: Happe’ (1994)

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Advanced Test of Theory of Mind 151

Story Type: Irony

Ann's mother has spent a long time cooking Ann's favorite meal; fishand chips. But when she brings it in to Ann, she is watching TV, and shedoesn't even look up, or say thank you. Ann's mother is cross and says,"Well that's very nice, isn't it! That's what I call politeness!"

Is it true, what Ann's mother says?

Why does Ann's mother say this?

Story Type: Persuasion

Jill wanted to buy a kitten, so she went to see Mrs. Smith, who hadlots of kittens she didn't want. Now Mrs. Smith loved the kittens, and shewouldn't do anything to harm them, though she couldn't keep them allherself. When Jane visited she wasn't sure she wanted one of Mrs. Smith'skittens, since they were all males and she had wanted a female. But Mrs.Smith said, "If no one buys the kittens I'll just have to drown them!"

Was it true, what Mrs. Smith said?

Why did Mrs. Smith say this to Jane?

Source: Happe’ (1994)

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Control Physical Story Example

Sally is in the garden. She is sowing seeds, so that next year she willhave lots of vegetables in her garden. She sows seeds for carrots, lettucesand peas. She sows the seeds well, but when she goes inside after sowingthem, the birds fly down and eat up all Sally's seeds! Poor Sally, not oneof her seeds is left!0: Is it true that Sally sowed seeds for turnips and swedes?0: Why will Sally not have any vegetables in her garden?

Examples of Subjects' Answers to the '*Why'* Question

Answers Rated as Mental State Justifications

Because he doesn't like the dentistShe's crossHe's lyingSaid it to fool herShe's just pretendingHe's making a jokeTo make them happyIt's just an expression people useShe thought it was a telephoneHe knows they won't believe himShe doesn't want to upset them

Source: Happe’ (1994)

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5- to 12-year-old typically developing children and thus

result in a clinical instrument that is useful in everyday

practice in the diagnosis and management of children with

autism and related ASD. It may be particularly important to

begin to pay more attention clinically to mentalising

function as IQ and academic achievements alone are not

good predictors of quality of life in ASD and the quality of

emotional engagement with peers is associated with better

functioning in everyday life (Burgess and Gutstein 2007).

Acknowledgments This work was supported by the Community

Child Health Endowment Fund, Royal Hospital for Sick Children

Edinburgh and the Autism Research and Development Fund, Sick

Kids Friends Foundation, Edinburgh.

Appendix 1

Twelve ‘Strange Stories’ employed in study. Happe 1994.

Lie (Dentist)

John hates going to the dentist because every time he goes to

the dentist he needs a filling, and that hurts a lot. But John

knows that when he has toothache, his mother always takes

him to the dentist. Now John has bad toothache at the moment,

but when his mother notices he is looking ill and asks him ‘‘Do

you have toothache, John?’’. John says ‘‘No, Mummy’’.

1. Is it true what John says to his mother?

2. Why does John say this?

White Lie (Hat)

One day Aunt Jane came to visit Peter. Now Peter loves his

aunt very much, but today she is wearing a new hat; a new

hat which Peter thinks is very ugly indeed. Peter thinks his

aunt looks silly in it, and much nicer in her old hat. But

when Aunt Jane asks Peter, ‘‘How do you like my new

hat?’’ Peter says, ‘‘Oh, it’s very nice’’.

1. Was it true what Peter said?

2. Why did he say it?

Misunderstanding (Glove)

A burglar who has just robbed a shop is making his get-

away. As he is running home, a policeman on his beat sees

him drop his glove. He doesn’t know the man is a burglar,

he just wants to tell him he dropped his glove. But when

the policeman shouts out to the burglar, ‘‘Hey you, Stop!’’,

the burglar turns round, sees the policeman and gives

himself up. He puts his hands up and admits that he did the

break-in at the local shop.

1. Was the policeman surprised by what the burglar did?

2. Why did the burglar do this, when the policeman just

wanted to give him back his glove?

Sarcasm (Picnic)

Sarah and Tom are going on a picnic. It is Tom’s idea, he

says it is going to be a lovely sunny day for a picnic. But

just as they are unpacking the food, it starts to rain and

soon they are both soaked to the skin. Sarah is cross. She

says ‘‘Oh yes, a lovely day for a picnic alright!’’

1. Is it true what Sarah says?

2. Why does she say this?

Persuasion (Kittens)

Jill wanted to buy a kitten, so she went to see Mrs. Smith

who had lots of kittens she didn’t want. Now Mrs. Smith

loved the kittens and she wouldn’t do anything to harm

them, though she couldn’t keep them all herself. When Jill

visited she wasn’t sure she wanted one of Mrs. Smith’s

kittens, since they were all males and she had wanted a

female. But Mrs. Smith said, ‘‘If no one buys the kittens,

I’ll just have to drown them!’’

1. Was it true what Mrs. Smith said?

2. Why did Mrs. Smith say this to Jill?

Contrary Emotions (Swings)

Today, Katy wants to go on the swings in the playground.

But to get to the playground she knows she has to pass old

Mr. Jones house. Mr. Jones has a nasty fierce dog and every

time Katy walks past the house, the dog jumps up at the gate

and barks. It scares Katy awfully and she hates walking past

the house because of the nasty dog. But Katy does so want to

play on the swings. Katy’s mother asks her ‘‘Do you want to

go out to the playground?’’ Katy says ‘‘No’’.

1. Is it true what Katy says?

2. Why does she say she doesn’t want to go to the

playground, when she so wants to go on the swings

that are there?

Pretend (Banana)

Katie and Emma are playing in the house. Emma picks up a

banana from the fruit bowl and holds it up to her ear. She

says to Katie ‘‘Look! This banana is a telephone!’’

1. Is it true what Emma says?

2. Why does Emma say this?

920 J Autism Dev Disord (2009) 39:916–928

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Source: Happe’ (1994)

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Joke (Haircut)

Daniel and Ian see Mrs. Thompson coming out of the

hairdressers 1 day. She looks a bit funny because the

hairdresser has cut her hair much too short. Daniel says

to Ian, ‘‘She must have been in a fight with a

lawnmower!’’

1. Is it true what Daniel says?

2. Why does he say this?

Figure of Speech (Cough)

Emma has a cough. All through lunch she coughs and

coughs and coughs. Father says ‘‘Poor Emma, you must

have a frog in your throat!’’

1. Is it true what Father says to Emma?

2. Why does he say that?

Double Bluff (Ping-Pong Bat)

Simon is a big liar. Simon’s brother Jim knows this, he

knows that Simon never tells the truth! Now yesterday

Simon stole Jim’s ping-pong bat and Jim knows Simon has

hidden it somewhere, though he can’t find it. He’s very

cross. So he finds Simon and he says ‘‘Where is my ping-

pong bat? You must have hidden it either in the cupboard

or under your bed, because I’ve looked everywhere else.

Where is it, in the cupboard or under your bed?’’ Simon

tells him the bat is under his bed.

1. Was it true what Simon told Jim?

2. Where will Jim look for his ping-pong bat?

3. Why will Jim look there for his bat?

Appearance/Reality (Santa Claus)

On Christmas Eve, Alice’s mother takes her to the big

department store in town. They go to look in the toy

department. In the toy department Mr. Brown, Alice’s next

door neighbour, is dressed up as Santa Claus, giving out

sweets to all the children. Alice thinks she recognises Mr.

Brown, so she runs up to him and asks ‘‘Who are you?’’

Mr. Brown answers ‘‘I’m Santa Claus!’’.

1. Is it true what Mr. Brown says?

2. Why does he say this?

Forget (Doll)

Yvonne is playing in the garden with her doll. She leaves

her doll in the garden when her mother calls her in for

lunch. While they are having lunch, it starts to rain.

Yvonne’s mother asks Yvonne ‘‘Did you leave your doll in

the garden?’’ Yvonne says ‘‘No, I brought her in with me,

Mummy’’.

1. Is it true what Yvonne says?

2. Why does Yvonne say this?

Appendix 2

Lie (dentist): Q2 (Table 2).

White lie (hat): Q2 (Table 3).

Misunderstanding (glove): Q2 (Table 4).

Sarcasm (picnic): Q2 (Table 5).

Persuasion (kittens): Q2 (Table 6).

Contrary emotion (swings): Q2 (Table 7).

Pretend (banana): Q2 (Table 8).

Joke (haircut): Q2 (Table 9).

Figure of speech (cough): Q2 (Table 10).

Double bluff (ping-pong bat): Q2, in the cupboard

(Table 11).

Appearance/reality (Santa Claus): Q2 (Table 12).

Forget (doll): Q2 (Table 13).

Table 2

Incorrect

Physical

He didn’t have toothache

Psychological

He’s just saying it for a joke

Physical state (2P)

It hurts when he gets a filling

It’s sore when he goes to the

dentist

He’s got toothache/He had

toothache

He needs to go to the dentist

It hurts when he gets the toothache

Because they hurt

Because when you get a filling it’s

sore

So that he doesn’t have to go to

the dentist

Partial psychological state(2M)

He thinks it’s really sore and

he’s ill

He doesn’t like going to the

dentist

He doesn’t like the dentist

He hates going to the dentist

Psychological state full andaccurate answer (2M)

He doesn’t want to go to the dentist

He doesn’t want a filling

He doesn’t want to get a filling

because it hurts

He doesn’t want to get hurt

He knows that it’ll hurt a lot

J Autism Dev Disord (2009) 39:916–928 921

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Source: Happe’ (1994)

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