scholarly journals The Mediating Effects of Alexithymia, Intolerance of Uncertainty, and Anxiety on the Relationship Between Sensory Processing Differences and Restricted and Repetitive Behaviours in Autistic Adults

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather L. Moore ◽  
Samuel Brice ◽  
Lauren Powell ◽  
Barry Ingham ◽  
Mark Freeston ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sensory Processing ◽  
Intolerance Of Uncertainty ◽  
Repetitive Behaviours ◽  
Insistence On Sameness ◽  
Autistic People ◽  
Autistic Adults ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Processing Differences ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Repetitive Motor

AbstractDistress caused by sensory processing differences for autistic individuals may be reduced by repetitive behaviours (RRB), including repetitive motor (RMB) and insistence on sameness (ISB) behaviours. Intolerance of uncertainty (IU) and anxiety mediate the relationship between sensory processing and RRB in autistic children. We replicated this model in autistic adults, extending it to include alexithymia. Serial mediation, using data from 426 autistic adults, identified significant direct effects from sensory processing to RMB and ISB, and indirect effects through alexithymia-IU-anxiety for RMB, and IU alone, and alexithymia-IU for ISB. Different mechanisms may underpin RMB and ISB. Alexithymia alongside, IU and anxiety, should be considered when understanding the relationship between sensory processing and RRB, and when offering interventions to support autistic people.

scholarly journals Cognitive processes in autism: Repetitive thinking in autistic versus non-autistic adults

Autism ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 136236132110343
Author(s):  
Kate Cooper ◽  
Ailsa Russell ◽  
Steph Calley ◽  
Huilin Chen ◽  
Jaxon Kramer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Repetitive Behaviours ◽  
Insistence On Sameness ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive ◽  
Repetitive Behaviour ◽  
Repetitive Thinking ◽  
Autistic People ◽  
Core Feature ◽  
Paper Form ◽  
And Control ◽  
The Relationship

Repetitive and restricted behaviours are a core feature of autism, and cognition in autistic individuals may also be repetitive and restricted. We aimed to investigate the relationship between repetitive behaviours and repetitive thinking. We predicted that autistic people would experience more repetitive, perseverative, visual and negative cognition than controls. We predicted that repetitive thinking would be associated with repetitive behaviours in the autistic participants. We recruited autistic ( n = 54) and control ( n = 66) participants who completed measures of insistence on sameness and obsessive-compulsive behaviours. Participants then took part in 5 days of descriptive experiencing sampling, recording their thoughts when a random alarm sounded. Consistent with our hypothesis, autistic participants reported more repetitive thinking. Contrary with our other hypotheses, autistic participants reported equivalent frequency of perseveration, visual thoughts and negative thoughts to non-autistic participants. Moreover, participants who reported more obsessive thinking reported more repetitive behaviour (insistence on sameness), but there was no such relationship between repetitive thinking and behaviour. Autistic participants who reported more repeated thoughts in the descriptive experience sampling had significantly lower obsessive thinking scores. We conclude that anxiety focused cognitions may drive insistence on sameness behaviours, and that the relationship between repetitive cognition and behaviour is complex and warrants further investigation. Lay abstract A core feature of autism is the tendency to do the same activity or behaviour repetitively. We wanted to find out if autistic people also experience repetitive thinking, for example, having the same thoughts repeatedly. We thought that there would be a link between repetitive behaviour and repetitive thinking. We asked 54 autistic people and 66 non-autistic people to complete questionnaires measuring repetitive behaviours and obsessive thinking. Next, participants were trained by a researcher to record their thoughts using a structured paper form. They then completed 5 days of thought recording, which they did each time a random alarm sounded on their mobile phone. We found that autistic people had more repetitive thoughts than non-autistic people, but they did not report having more negative or visual thoughts compared with non-autistic people. Autistic people who had more repetitive thoughts during the 5 days of thought recording did not report more repetitive behaviour. However, autistic people who reported more obsessive thinking, for example, more negative and unwanted thoughts, also reported higher levels of repetitive behaviour. We conclude that some repetitive behaviours may be linked to anxiety and that more research is needed to better understand repetitive behaviours in autism.

Understanding anxiety in adults on the autism spectrum: An investigation of its relationship with intolerance of uncertainty, sensory sensitivities and repetitive behaviours

Autism ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 411-422 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ye In (Jane) Hwang ◽  
Samuel Arnold ◽  
Preeyaporn Srasuebkul ◽  
Julian Trollor
Keyword(s):  
Survey Data ◽  
Intolerance Of Uncertainty ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Repetitive Behaviours ◽  
Insistence On Sameness ◽  
Sensory Sensitivities ◽  
Autistic Adults ◽  
Positive Correlations ◽  
Significant Mediator

Anxiety is present in high rates in both children and adults on the autism spectrum. An increasing number of studies have highlighted the potentially important role that intolerance of uncertainty may have in anxiety for those on the spectrum, as well as their interrelationships with sensory sensitivities and repetitive behaviours. In response to a lack of studies involving adults, this study examined self-report survey data regarding intolerance of uncertainty, sensory sensitivities, repetitive behaviours and anxiety in a sample of 176 adults on the autism spectrum (mean age = 42). Intolerance of uncertainty and anxiety were both found to be elevated relative to non-autistic adults ( N = 116) and significant, positive correlations were found between intolerance of uncertainty, anxiety, repetitive behaviours and sensory sensitivities in those on the spectrum. Intolerance of uncertainty was found to be a significant mediator between sensory sensitivities and anxiety, as well as between anxiety and insistence on sameness behaviours. These results were not sensitive to age. Intolerance of uncertainty is an important factor to be considered in the conceptualisation and management of elevated rates of anxiety for adults on the autism spectrum.

Camouflaging in non-autistic adults is associated with poorer mental health

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Somerville ◽  
Sarah E. MacPherson ◽  
Sue Fletcher-Watson
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Executive Function ◽  
Autistic Traits ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Linear Regression Models ◽  
Mental Health Symptoms ◽  
Health Symptoms ◽  
Autistic People ◽  
Autistic Adults ◽  
The Relationship

Camouflaging is a frequently reported behaviour in autistic people, which entails the use of strategies to compensate for and mask autistic traits in social situations. Camouflaging is associated with poor mental health in autistic people. This study examined the manifestation of camouflaging in a non-autistic sample, examining the relationship between autistic traits, camouflaging, and mental health. In addition, the role of executive functions as a mechanism underpinning camouflaging was explored. Sixty-three non-autistic adults completed standardised self-report questionnaires which measured: autistic traits, mental health symptoms, and camouflaging behaviours. In addition, a subset (n=51) completed three tests of executive function measuring inhibition, working memory, and set-shifting. Multiple linear regression models were used to analyse data. Results indicated that autistic traits are not associated with mental health symptoms when controlling for camouflaging, and camouflaging predicted increased mental health symptoms. Camouflaging did not correlate with any measure of executive function. These findings have implications for understanding the relationship between autistic traits and mental health in non-autistic people and add to the growing development of theory and knowledge about the mechanism and effects of camouflaging.

scholarly journals Time perception in autistic adults: Duration and relative timing judgements do not differ from non-autistics

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Poole ◽  
Martin Casassus ◽  
Emma Gowen ◽  
Ellen Poliakoff ◽  
Luke Anthony Jones
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Investigation ◽  
Relative Timing ◽  
Cognitive Differences ◽  
Autistic People ◽  
Verbal Estimation ◽  
Components Analysis ◽  
Autistic Adults ◽  
Social Communicative ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Timing Processes

It has previously been proposed that autistic people have problems with timing which underlie the behavioural and cognitive differences in the condition. However, the nature of this postulated timing issue has not been well specified and the existing experimental literature has generated mixed findings. In the current study, we attempted a systematic investigation of timing processes in autistic adults using Scalar Expectancy Theory as a theoretical framework. Autistic (n = 58) and non-autistic (neurotypical; n = 91) adults matched for age, sex and full-scale IQ completed a battery of auditory and visual timing tasks measuring basic sub-second duration perception (temporal difference thresholds), clock processes (verbal estimation), clock and memory processes (temporal generalisation), and relative timing (temporal order judgements). Participants also completed supra-second retrospective duration estimates where the participant was not warned in advanced that they would be required to make a timing judgement, and questionnaires measuring self-reported timing behaviours in daily life. The groups reported differences on questionnaires, but measures of timing performance were comparable overall. In an exploratory analysis, we performed principal components analysis to investigate the relationship between timing judgements and participants’ self-reported social-communicative, sensory and motor traits. Measures of timing performance were not well correlated with these questionnaire scores. The current study is not supportive of reduced timing performance in autistic adults, nor of a relationship between sub-second timing perception and social-communicative, sensory or motor traits.

Accent Policy and Accent Modification Enterprises as Potential Indicators of Intercultural Power Relations: A Call for an Updated Research Agenda

2013 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brynne D. Ovalle ◽  
Rahul Chakraborty
Keyword(s):  
International Relations ◽  
Identity Construction ◽  
Social Theory ◽  
Power Relations ◽  
Linguistic Diversity ◽  
Cultural Organization ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

This article has two purposes: (a) to examine the relationship between intercultural power relations and the widespread practice of accent discrimination and (b) to underscore the ramifications of accent discrimination both for the individual and for global society as a whole. First, authors review social theory regarding language and group identity construction, and then go on to integrate more current studies linking accent bias to sociocultural variables. Authors discuss three examples of intercultural accent discrimination in order to illustrate how this link manifests itself in the broader context of international relations (i.e., how accent discrimination is generated in situations of unequal power) and, using a review of current research, assess the consequences of accent discrimination for the individual. Finally, the article highlights the impact that linguistic discrimination is having on linguistic diversity globally, partially using data from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and partially by offering a potential context for interpreting the emergence of practices that seek to reduce or modify speaker accents.

Workplace Ostracism and Its Negative Outcomes

2016 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 143-151 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoming Zheng ◽  
Jun Yang ◽  
Hang-Yue Ngo ◽  
Xiao-Yu Liu ◽  
Wengjuan Jiao
Keyword(s):  
Affective Commitment ◽  
Psychological Capital ◽  
Intention To Leave ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Conservation Of Resources ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Negative Outcomes ◽  
Workplace Ostracism ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract. Workplace ostracism, conceived as to being ignored or excluded by others, has attracted the attention of researchers in recent years. One essential topic in this area is how to reduce or even eliminate the negative consequences of workplace ostracism. Based on conservation of resources (COR) theory, the current study assesses the relationship between workplace ostracism and its negative outcomes, as well as the moderating role played by psychological capital, using data collected from 256 employees in three companies in the northern part of China. The study yields two important findings: (1) workplace ostracism is positively related to intention to leave and (2) psychological capital moderates the effect of workplace ostracism on affective commitment and intention to leave. This paper concludes by discussing the implications of these findings for organizations and employees, along with recommendations for future research.

Editor’s Pick: Regulatory and Ethical Issues in the New Era of Radiomics and Radiogenomics

EMJ Radiology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Filippo Pesapane
Keyword(s):  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Medical Images ◽  
Practical Significance ◽  
Innovative Technology ◽  
New Era ◽  
Naked Eye ◽  
Disease Characteristics ◽  
The Future ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Relationship

Radiomics is a science that investigates a large number of features from medical images using data-characterisation algorithms, with the aim to analyse disease characteristics that are indistinguishable to the naked eye. Radiogenomics attempts to establish and examine the relationship between tumour genomic characteristics and their radiologic appearance. Although there is certainly a lot to learn from these relationships, one could ask the question: what is the practical significance of radiogenomic discoveries? This increasing interest in such applications inevitably raises numerous legal and ethical questions. In an environment such as the technology field, which changes quickly and unpredictably, regulations need to be timely in order to be relevant.  In this paper, issues that must be solved to make the future applications of this innovative technology safe and useful are analysed.

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