Faux Pas Recognition Test: transcultural adaptation and evaluation of its psychometric properties in Brazil

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Many neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders produce Theory of Mind impairment. We aimed to implement a Brazilian Portuguese version of the Faux Pas Recognition Test (FPRT) and evaluate its psychometric properties.

Methods: We first completed an English-Brazilian Portuguese translation and adaptation to obtain an FPRT Brazilian Portuguese version. We performed a multicentric study with 153 healthy participants (68.6% women), mean age of 38.8 years (SD = 14.6) and 12.9 years of schooling (SD = 4.5). Linear regression analysis was performed to evaluate the association of social class, age, schooling, and FPRT scores. The psychometric analyses comprised item analysis, exploratory factor analysis, reliability, and validity analysis.

Results: Normative data in a Brazilian population is presented. A positive correlation of scores with years of schooling, social class, and an inverse relation with age was found. The exploratory factorial analysis found a two-component structure, one component, consisting of questions 1 through 6 (Eigenvalue 5.325) and another component, consisting of questions 7 and 8 (Eigenvalue 1.09). Cronbach’s alpha of the 20 stories was .72. All control stories had a poor discriminative index.

Conclusion: The FPRT Brazilian Portuguese version demonstrated good internal consistency and, psychometric properties and is adequate for use even in lower educational contexts in Brazil.

KEYWORDS:

• Theory of mind
• psychological tests
• psychometrics

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

Katia Lin holds a PQ2 Research Fellowship from Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq; process no. 304936/2017-0) and Roger Walz holds a PQ1 Research Fellowship from Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CPNq; process no. 302414/2016-9). Andre Enoch Knochenhauer received financial support from Programa Institucional de Bolsas de Iniciação Científica from CNPq (PIBIC/UFSC). Peter Wolf holds a Special Visiting Researcher Fellowship in Brazil – Programa Ciência sem Fronteiras from Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES; project MEC/MCTI/ CAPES/CNPq/FAPs No. 88881.030478/2013-01). RW and KL are supported by PRONEX (Programa de Núcleos de Excelência – NENASC Project – Process No. 56802/ 2010) and PRONEM (Programa de Apoio a Nucleos Emergentes – KETODIET – SC Project – Process No. 2020TR736) from FAPESC/CNPq, Santa Catarina Brazil.