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Social intelligence · Empathy

Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET)

The Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test, developed by psychologist Simon Baron-Cohen and colleagues at Cambridge in 2001, measures cognitive empathy — the ability to infer another person's mental state from subtle cues around the eyes alone. It is one of the most widely used research measures of theory of mind in adults.

What the test measures

Participants view photographs cropped tightly to the eye region and pick which of four emotion words best captures what the person is thinking or feeling. Because the mouth, posture, and context are removed, the task isolates mental-state recognition from other social cues.

The full adult version has 36 items. Average scores cluster around 26/36 for neurotypical adults; women tend to score marginally higher on average. Adults on the autism spectrum and people with schizophrenia tend to score lower as a group, though the test is not diagnostic on its own.

Try a 10-item screener

This short screener follows the RMET format. Instead of photographs, each item describes an eye expression in words — pick the option that best fits. Your score is calculated locally and never stored.

  1. Question 1 of 10

    "Relaxed brow, soft crinkles at the outer corners, slight downward tilt of the upper lids."

    Emotion for item 1

  2. Question 2 of 10

    "Wide eyes, raised upper lids, brows lifted and drawn slightly together."

    Emotion for item 2

  3. Question 3 of 10

    "Narrowed eyes, one eyebrow slightly higher than the other, steady gaze."

    Emotion for item 3

  4. Question 4 of 10

    "Lowered gaze, upper lids drooping, inner brows raised."

    Emotion for item 4

  5. Question 5 of 10

    "Bright gaze, lower lids raised, faint crow's feet."

    Emotion for item 5

  6. Question 6 of 10

    "Sideways glance, one eyebrow arched, subtle tightening at the outer corners."

    Emotion for item 6

  7. Question 7 of 10

    "Wide, unfocused stare, brows drawn up in the middle."

    Emotion for item 7

  8. Question 8 of 10

    "Steady gaze, brows lowered evenly, eyelids relaxed and slightly narrowed."

    Emotion for item 8

  9. Question 9 of 10

    "Focused gaze angled downward, brows drawn together in concentration."

    Emotion for item 9

  10. Question 10 of 10

    "Softened eyes, gaze slightly averted, lids relaxed with a faint smile-lift."

    Emotion for item 10

Is the RMET an "autism eye test"?

The RMET is often searched for as an "autism eye test" because autistic adults tend to score lower on it as a group. It is not a diagnostic instrument. Autism is a clinical diagnosis based on developmental history and a structured assessment by a qualified clinician; a single empathy-recognition task cannot confirm or rule it out.

For a formal evaluation, speak with a psychologist or psychiatrist who specializes in adult autism assessment.

How RMET relates to personality

Cognitive empathy overlaps modestly with Reward Dependence in Cloninger's TCI — the trait tied to social sensitivity, warmth, and attachment. It also correlates with Openness and Agreeableness in the Big Five. If you enjoyed the RMET, the PersonAZ visual signature test maps how you weigh novelty, safety, and social reward when the cues are aesthetic rather than emotional.

Reference

Baron-Cohen, S., Wheelwright, S., Hill, J., Raste, Y., & Plumb, I. (2001). The "Reading the Mind in the Eyes" test revised version. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 42(2), 241–251.