• Replies 7 replies
  • Subscribers 28 subscribers
  • Views 1494 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Options
Related
Hints and tips
  • To quote someone's message, first select/highlight the relevant text, and then use the Quote button that appears
  • To "mention" someone, type @ followed by the start of the forum name, and choose from the list; that person will get a notification of being mentioned

Systemising Quotient

Telstar

I'd be interested for any views on the following regarding SQ (Systemising Quotient) tests.

For those who haven't seen my other posts, just to confirm that I am waiting for a Full Assessment, having had an initial one at my local MHU, which found several indicators of possible ASC.

Since discovering the possiblility of ASC in myself, I have done a few online tests (it was doing the AQ test and getting a score of 40 which alerted me to autism in the first place).  Recently, I undertook the SQ test, as I recall I hadn't done this one previously.  I was quite taken aback to find myself scoring 125 on the test, and I tried to answer conservatively too.  This puts me well above the average for adults with an ASC.  

I know that I have a logical outlook in the extreme, and always have done - for example, different saucers for different drinking mugs, always using certain coloured plastic clothes hangers for certain coloured shirts, all clothes subdivided into sections, etc., and never deviating from these.  I couldn't function without this certainty and order, but also, I can't understand how other people don't have these systems either - to me, it's entirely logical AND sensible to do this.  So many people out there seem to go through life in a disorganised way, and it baffles me!

I know these online tests are only a "guide" and shouldn't be taken as clinical evidence, however, 125 on the SQ test seems to be quite high to me.  I wondered if anyone else here has taken this test, and if so, did you find similar results?  I'm not unduly worried about the result, just a little surprised, although the systematic way in which I've organised my life since a child does seem to tie in with this result.  My EQ (Empathy Quotient) of 22 also might suggest why, combined with the SQ, that I feel I can look at a situation with considerable detachment.  I also recognise that I may sometimes appear to be a bit pedantic - again, perhaps the SQ results might just confirm this?

Parents

  • There is also another side to this EQ-SQ stuff. It is used to explore the concept of male and female brains. I don't know if the questions are the same, but it does leave me wondering whether the questions can safely be read as indications of autism (with regard to my doubts above).

    That is to say autism is being defined by researchers as an extreme male brain - no wonder females have trouble getting a diagnosis!

    The same underlying theory considers systemizing to be a male attribute, and empathising to be a female attribute. Empathising here is the desire to identify another person's thoughts and emotions, and to respond to them with an appropriate emotion. Systemizing is about predicting and controlling.

    If you are male you should score above average on systemizing and lower on empathising. And women the converse - or do I detect stereotyping here - are women being implied to be more emotional but less good at driving a car? Sorry - but that's how it reads to me.

    How you read this across to testing for autism is truly mindboggling. Autism means testing very high on systemizing - so its a high degree of need to understand how everything works - link that back to the Triad if you can - and a correspondingly very ,low score on empathising.

    Be more man - become autistic.......

    What a load of rubbish..............................

Reply

  • There is also another side to this EQ-SQ stuff. It is used to explore the concept of male and female brains. I don't know if the questions are the same, but it does leave me wondering whether the questions can safely be read as indications of autism (with regard to my doubts above).

    That is to say autism is being defined by researchers as an extreme male brain - no wonder females have trouble getting a diagnosis!

    The same underlying theory considers systemizing to be a male attribute, and empathising to be a female attribute. Empathising here is the desire to identify another person's thoughts and emotions, and to respond to them with an appropriate emotion. Systemizing is about predicting and controlling.

    If you are male you should score above average on systemizing and lower on empathising. And women the converse - or do I detect stereotyping here - are women being implied to be more emotional but less good at driving a car? Sorry - but that's how it reads to me.

    How you read this across to testing for autism is truly mindboggling. Autism means testing very high on systemizing - so its a high degree of need to understand how everything works - link that back to the Triad if you can - and a correspondingly very ,low score on empathising.

    Be more man - become autistic.......

    What a load of rubbish..............................

Children
No Data