Dimensions of Self-Reported Driving Difficulty in Autistic and Non-Autistic Adults and their Relationship with Autistic Traits

AbstractA survey asked autistic and non-autistic people about the driving difficulties they experience and their autistic traits. Principle components analysis was used to identify how reported difficulties clustered together in each group, and regression was used to determine which subscales of the Autism Spectrum Quotient predict these factors. For autistic drivers three factors of driving difficulty emerged: a Driving Executive factor, predicted by Attention Switching; a Driving Understanding factor, predicted by Communication; and a Driving Social Interaction factor, predicted by Attention Switching. For non-autistic drivers only one Driving General factor emerged, predicted by Communication. This suggests autistic people may experience at least three distinct domains of difficulty when driving which may relate to their particular profile of autistic features.

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Longitudinal association between autistic traits and affinity for hikikomori in Japanese university students

Current Psychology ◽

10.1007/s12144-020-01287-x ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Yuuki Shimono ◽

Akira Hasegawa ◽

Kohei Tsuchihara ◽

Keisuke Tanaka ◽

Yuko Matsuda ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Social Interaction ◽

University Students ◽

Structural Equation ◽

Autistic Traits ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Equation Modeling ◽

Autism Spectrum Quotient ◽

Japanese University ◽

Longitudinal Association ◽

Academic Failures

AbstractThe affinity for hikikomori represents the desire to be withdrawn, as well as to entertain an empathetic attitude towards withdrawn individuals. It is composed of two subdimensions, the maladaptive desire for hikikomori, and empathy for others with hikikomori. This longitudinal study examined whether autistic traits predicted the affinity for hikikomori. At the baseline assessment, undergraduate and graduate students in Japan (N = 272) completed the Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ), the Affinity for Hikikomori Scale in University Students, and measures assessing academic failures and interpersonal conflicts. They also completed all measures excluding the AQ eight weeks later. Structural equation modeling indicated that difficulties in social interaction aspects of autistic traits were positively associated with academic failures at Time 2 even after controlling for academic failures at Time 1. In addition, difficulties in social interaction were positively related to the desire for hikikomori at Time 2 indirectly via academic failures at Time 2 after controlling for the desire for hikikomori at Time 1. Difficulties in social interaction were also directly associated with the increased desire for hikikomori at Time 2. These findings suggest that autistic traits, and especially difficulties in social interaction, are predictors of the maladaptive aspect of the affinity for hikikomori.

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The 2D : 4D Digit Ratio as a Biomarker for Autism Spectrum Disorder

Autism Research and Treatment ◽

10.1155/2017/1048302 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 2017 ◽

pp. 1-5 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

M. Mackus ◽

D. de Kruijff ◽

L. S. Otten ◽

A. D. Kraneveld ◽

J. Garssen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ring Finger ◽

Autistic Traits ◽

Subscale Score ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Digit Ratio ◽

Autism Spectrum Quotient ◽

Attention Switching ◽

Left Hand ◽

And Behavior ◽

Attention To Detail

It has been suggested that the second (2D, index finger) to fourth (4D, ring finger) digit ratio, 2D : 4D, may be a biomarker for the risk of developing autism. The aim of the current study was to determine the usefulness of the 2D : 4D digit ratio as biomarker for autistic traits. N=401 healthy young volunteers participated in the study. For both hands, digit lengths were measured using digital Vernier calipers. In addition to demographics, the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) questionnaire was completed, comprised of five subscales, assessing “social insights and behavior,” “attention switching,” “communication,” “imagination,” and “attention to detail.” Overall, no significant correlations were observed between the AQ total score, its subscales, and the 2D : 4D digit ratio. For women, the left hand 2D : 4D digit ratio correlated significantly with the subscale score “communication” (r=-0.142; p=0.036). For men, a significant positive correlation was found between the left 2D : 4D digit ratio and the total AQ score (r=0.157; p=0.042) and AQ subscale “attention switching” (r=0.182; p=0.017). In conclusion, gender specific associations between the 2D : 4D digit ratio and specific autism traits were observed, which were stronger in men than in women. Future studies should be conducted in patients that are formally diagnosed with autism.

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“I hear with my little ear something…": Enhanced performance of absolute pitch musicians in an interleaved melody recognition test

10.1101/469429 ◽

2018 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Teresa Wenhart ◽

Ye-Young Hwang ◽

Eckart Altenmüller

Keyword(s):

Recognition Test ◽

Recognition Task ◽

Autistic Traits ◽

Absolute Pitch ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Autism Spectrum Quotient ◽

Sensitivity Index ◽

Professional Musicians ◽

Melody Recognition ◽

Autistic People

AbstractAutistic people exhibit enhanced abilities to find and extract visual or auditory figures out of a meaningful whole (disembedding). Studies have shown heightened autistic traits in professional musicians with absolute pitch (AP). This study investigates whether such musicians show an advantage in an interleaved melody recognition task (IMRT).A total of N=59 professional musicians (AP=27) participated in the study. In each trial a probe melody was followed by an interleaved sequence. Subjects had to indicate as to whether the probe melody was present in the interleaved sequence. Sensitivity index d’ and response bias c were calculated according to signal detection theory. Additionally, a pitch adjustment test measuring fine-graded differences in absolute pitch proficiency, the Autism-Spectrum-Quotient and a visual embedded figures test were conducted.AP performance was enhanced overall compared to RP. Absolute pitch proficiency, visual disembedding ability and musicality predicted approximately 39.2% of variance in the interleaved melody recognition test. No correlations were found between IMRT and autistic traits.The stable pitch-label associations of AP might serve as additional sensory cues during pre-attentive processing in recognizing interleaved melodies. Results are in line with a detailed-oriented cognitive style and enhanced perceptional functioning of AP musicians similar to that observed in autism.

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Relationship Between Autism Spectrum Disorder Characteristics and Humor Appreciation in Typically Developing Individuals

Psychological Reports ◽

10.1177/0033294118804999 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 122 (6) ◽

pp. 2282-2297

Author(s):

Kai Nagase

Keyword(s):

Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽

Autistic Traits ◽

Japanese Version ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Spectrum Disorder ◽

Autism Spectrum Quotient ◽

Typically Developing ◽

Attention Switching ◽

Humor Appreciation ◽

The Relationship

Extant research regarding humor appreciation in individuals with autism spectrum disorder has been equivocal. This study aims to clarify the relationship between the severity of autism spectrum disorder characteristics and humor appreciation in typically developing individuals. We hypothesized that the severity of autistic traits would have a U-shaped linear relationship with humor appreciation. Eighty typically developing undergraduates between the ages of 18 and 22 years ( Mage = 20.20; SDage = 1.08) were recruited for this study. They were asked to answer 24 statements, devised to measure humor appreciation, in response to a joke stimulus comprising 12 typically funny daily life occurrences (two statements per episode). The participants also responded to the Japanese version of the Autism-Spectrum Quotient. A significant U-shaped relationship was observed between the severity of autistic traits and appreciation of humor. A similar significant U-shaped relationship was seen between humor appreciation and the Autism-Spectrum Quotient subscales of attention switching, communication, and imagination. Humor appreciation showed no significant U-shaped relationship with the Autism-Spectrum Quotient subscales of social skills and local details. This study identified ways that autistic traits may influence how people appreciate humor. These findings are discussed in relation to cognitive processes underlying humor appreciation.

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Testing the Empathizing–Systemizing theory of sex differences and the Extreme Male Brain theory of autism in half a million people

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences ◽

10.1073/pnas.1811032115 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 115 (48) ◽

pp. 12152-12157 ◽

Cited By ~ 49

Author(s):

David M. Greenberg ◽

Varun Warrier ◽

Carrie Allison ◽

Simon Baron-Cohen

Keyword(s):

Sex Differences ◽

Autistic Traits ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Small Sample ◽

Autism Spectrum Quotient ◽

Short Forms ◽

Extreme Type ◽

Autistic People ◽

Extreme Male Brain ◽

Small Sample Sizes

The Empathizing–Systemizing (E-S) theory of typical sex differences suggests that individuals may be classified based on empathy and systemizing. An extension of the E-S theory, the Extreme Male Brain (EMB) theory suggests that autistic people on average have a shift towards a more masculinized brain along the E-S dimensions. Both theories have been investigated in small sample sizes, limiting their generalizability. Here we leverage two large datasets (discovery n = 671,606, including 36,648 autistic individuals primarily; and validation n = 14,354, including 226 autistic individuals) to investigate 10 predictions of the E-S and the EMB theories. In the discovery dataset, typical females on average showed higher scores on short forms of the Empathy Quotient (EQ) and Sensory Perception Quotient (SPQ), and typical males on average showed higher scores on short forms of the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) and Systemizing Quotient (SQ). Typical sex differences in these measures were attenuated in autistic individuals. Analysis of “brain types” revealed that typical females on average were more likely to be Type E (EQ > SQ) or Extreme Type E and that typical males on average were more likely to be Type S (SQ > EQ) or Extreme Type S. In both datasets, autistic individuals, regardless of their reported sex, on average were “masculinized.” Finally, we demonstrate that D-scores (difference between EQ and SQ) account for 19 times more of the variance in autistic traits (43%) than do other demographic variables including sex. Our results provide robust evidence in support of both the E-S and EMB theories.

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Autistic Traits in Patients with Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa or Binge Eating Disorder: A Pilot Study

European Psychiatry ◽

10.1016/j.eurpsy.2017.01.310 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 41 (S1) ◽

pp. S100-S100 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

C. Gesi ◽

C. Carmassi ◽

M. Luciano ◽

L. Bossini ◽

V. Ricca ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Anorexia Nervosa ◽

Eating Disorder ◽

Bulimia Nervosa ◽

Binge Eating ◽

Binge Eating Disorder ◽

Autistic Traits ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Autism Spectrum Quotient ◽

Attention Switching ◽

Feeding And Eating Disorders

IntroductionPrevious data showed higher autistic traits in individuals with anorexia nervosa (AN) compared to healthy controls (CTL). It is not known, however, whether this characteristic is shared by other feeding and eating disorders (FEDs) or it is uniquely associated to AN.ObjectivesTo compare autistic traits among individuals with AN, bulimia nervosa (BN), binge eating disorder (BED) and CTL and to investigate which specific dimensions differentiate one group from another.MethodsA total of 241 FED patients (53 AN, 41 BN, 42 BED) and 105 CTL were administered the autism-spectrum quotient (AQ), the adult autism subthreshold spectrum (AdAS Spectrum), the Ritvo autism and Asperger diagnostic scale 14-item (RAADS-14 Screen).ResultsFED subjects reported higher AQ, AdAS spectrum and RAADS-14 total and subscales scores compared to CTL (all P < .001). No differences were found amongst AN, BN and BED subjects in questionnaires’ total scores. BN group scored higher than AN in the hyper-/hyporeactivity to sensory input domain of the AdAS spectrum (P < .001); AN group scored higher than BED in the attention switching domain of the AQ (P < .001), and BED group scored lower than both AN and BN in the mentalizing deficit domain of the RAADS-14 (all P < .001).ConclusionsWe reported for the first time that not only AN but also BN and BED patients show greater autistic traits compared to CTL. Longitudinal studies are needed to confirm this preliminary report and to elucidate whether autistic traits either precede, co-occur or follow FEDs.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

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Dissociable Effects of Social and Non-Social Autistic Traits on Figure Disembedding and Mental Rotation in Women and Men

10.21203/rs.3.rs-506300/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Massimiliano Conson ◽

Vincenzo Paolo Senese ◽

Isa Zappullo ◽

Chiara Baiano ◽

Varun Warrier ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sex Differences ◽

Mental Rotation ◽

Factor Model ◽

Autistic Traits ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Autism Spectrum Quotient ◽

Social Traits ◽

Autistic People ◽

Comparable Performance ◽

Visuospatial Tasks

Abstract Recent data revealed dissociations between social and non-social domains both in autism and neurotypical population. In the present study, we investigated whether specific visuospatial abilities, as mental rotation and figure disembedding, are differently related to social and non-social autistic traits, also considering sex differences in dealing with visuospatial tasks. University students (N = 426) completed the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ), mental rotation of two-dimensional figures and figure disembedding tasks. A two-factor model of AQ was used to differentiate social and non-social autistic traits. Mental rotation was affected by a significant interaction between sex, social and non-social traits. This implies that, when non-social traits were above the mean (+ 1 SD), no sex differences in mental rotation were found, whereas, below this value, sex differences depended on the social traits, with men outperforming women at middle-to-high social traits, and with a comparable performance, or even with women outperforming men, at lower social traits. Instead, only a small positive correlation between figure disembedding and social traits was observed in the overall sample. These results are interpreted using the hyper-systemizing framework of autism and contribute to the debate on individual differences in the cognitive style of autistic people and neurotypical people with autistic traits.

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Autistic Traits, STEM, and Medicine: Autism Spectrum Quotient Scores Predict Medical Students’ Career Specialty Preferences

SAGE Open ◽

10.1177/21582440211050389 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (4) ◽

pp. 215824402110503

Author(s):

Emma Turner ◽

Emma Aitken ◽

Gareth Richards

Keyword(s):

Medical Students ◽

Career Paths ◽

Online Survey ◽

Autistic Traits ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Self Report ◽

Autism Spectrum Quotient ◽

Autistic People ◽

Stem Students ◽

And Mathematics

There is a higher than chance representation of autistic people and people with elevated autistic traits in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) industries. Medical students, despite studying a STEM subject, have lower autistic traits than other STEM students. Medicine is heterogenous, covering technique-oriented specialties (e.g., surgery) with little patient interaction, person-oriented specialties (e.g., pediatrics), and general practice. We present an online survey in which 502 UK university students (medicine, n = 344; STEM, n = 94; non-STEM, n = 64) reported their study area and career aspirations and completed the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ), a quantitative self-report measure of autistic traits. Our main findings were that medical students had significantly lower AQ scores than other STEM ( p < .001, d = 0.614) and non-STEM students ( p < .001, d = 0.874), and that medical students aiming to pursue technique-focused career paths had significantly higher AQ scores than medical students aiming to pursue person-oriented career paths ( p = .009, d = 0.318). Each of these effects remained statistically significant after adjusting for alpha inflation. The findings of this study corroborate those of previous research reporting a link between autism and STEM; they also provide evidence that autistic traits are a predictor of medical students’ career ambitions, with those students with high AQ scores being more likely to pursue technique-focused (as opposed to person-focused) roles. This may be informative for developing and optimizing the strengths of individuals with differing levels of autistic traits.

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Developmental trajectories of autistic social traits in the general population

Psychological Medicine ◽

10.1017/s0033291721002166 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-9

Author(s):

Richard Pender ◽

Pasco Fearon ◽

Beate St Pourcain ◽

Jon Heron ◽

Will Mandy

Keyword(s):

General Population ◽

Full Range ◽

Population Sample ◽

Autistic Traits ◽

Communication Disorders ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Growth Mixture Modelling ◽

Autistic People ◽

Social Difficulties ◽

Autism Trait

Abstract Background Autistic people show diverse trajectories of autistic traits over time, a phenomenon labelled ‘chronogeneity’. For example, some show a decrease in symptoms, whilst others experience an intensification of difficulties. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a dimensional condition, representing one end of a trait continuum that extends throughout the population. To date, no studies have investigated chronogeneity across the full range of autistic traits. We investigated the nature and clinical significance of autism trait chronogeneity in a large, general population sample. Methods Autistic social/communication traits (ASTs) were measured in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children using the Social and Communication Disorders Checklist (SCDC) at ages 7, 10, 13 and 16 (N = 9744). We used Growth Mixture Modelling (GMM) to identify groups defined by their AST trajectories. Measures of ASD diagnosis, sex, IQ and mental health (internalising and externalising) were used to investigate external validity of the derived trajectory groups. Results The selected GMM model identified four AST trajectory groups: (i) Persistent High (2.3% of sample), (ii) Persistent Low (83.5%), (iii) Increasing (7.3%) and (iv) Decreasing (6.9%) trajectories. The Increasing group, in which females were a slight majority (53.2%), showed dramatic increases in SCDC scores during adolescence, accompanied by escalating internalising and externalising difficulties. Two-thirds (63.6%) of the Decreasing group were male. Conclusions Clinicians should note that for some young people autism-trait-like social difficulties first emerge during adolescence accompanied by problems with mood, anxiety, conduct and attention. A converse, majority-male group shows decreasing social difficulties during adolescence.

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Diachronic Tendency and Thinking Style Across the Broader Autism Spectrum: Sources of Individual Differences?

Advances in Neurodevelopmental Disorders ◽

10.1007/s41252-021-00209-7 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Stian Orm ◽

Ella Holt Holmberg ◽

Paul L. Harris ◽

Maria Nunez ◽

Francisco Pons

Keyword(s):

Autistic Traits ◽

Broader Autism Phenotype ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Inner Speech ◽

Autism Spectrum Quotient ◽

Present Moment ◽

Thinking Style ◽

Mental Images ◽

High School Degree ◽

Future Events

Abstract Objectives First, to see whether previous studies showing a limited capacity to spontaneously evoke the past and the future of a present moment (diachronic tendency) and a prevalence of mental images over inner speech (thinking style) in individuals with autism spectrum disorder could be replicated in individuals belonging to the broader autism phenotype. Second, to test the hypothesis that individuals thinking with mental images have a more limited diachronic tendency compared with individuals thinking with inner speech. Methods Adults (N = 309, Mage = 31.5 years, 76% women) with at least a high school degree were assessed with the Autism Spectrum Quotient, a test of diachronic tendency comprising four pictures varying in social interactivity and dynamicity, and a thinking style scale comprising three items representing three different everyday situations. Results The results showed that adults with many autistic traits have a limited diachronic tendency but only when the situation is socially interactive and dynamic, think more in mental images than individuals with no or few autistic traits but nevertheless still think more with inner speech than with mental images, and the more the participants reported thinking in inner speech, the more they evoked past and future events when describing a socially interactive and dynamic situation. Conclusions More autistic traits are associated with a limited diachronic tendency in socially interactive and dynamic situations and more thinking in mental images, and thinking style could be one of the determinants of diachronic tendency in socially interactive and dynamic situations.

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