Visualizing Empathy: Drawing as a Tool in the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test

This research aims to address the issue of emotional assessment through the widely used psychological tool known as the “Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test”. This test is designed to evaluate an individual’s ability to recognize emotional states by observing only the eye region of photographed faces. However, based on the analysis of test results obtained from several participants, critical limitations in the effectiveness of the photographic images used in the original test have been identified. Specifically, it was observed that even healthy individuals often struggle to correctly interpret the intended emotion conveyed in these photographs. This suggests that the current format of the test may not fully support accurate emotional recognition. To explore an alternative approach while maintaining the same validated subjects and structure of the original test, this research proposes the use of hand-drawn illustrations in place of photographs. Ten drawings based on prevalidated images were shown in an online survey, where participants identified target emotions from both photos and illustrations. The results provide insights into the potential of illustration as a tool to improve emotional recognition in psychological assessments and suggest promising directions for further refinement of the test format.