scholarly journals Therianthropy: Wellbeing, Schizotypy, and Autism in Individuals Who Self-Identify as Non-Human

2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 403-426
Author(s):  
Helen Clegg ◽  
Roz Collings ◽  
Elizabeth C. Roxburgh
Keyword(s):  
Social Relationships ◽  
Social Factors ◽  
Protective Factor ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Cognitive Factors ◽  
Psychological Wellbeing ◽  
Autism Spectrum Quotient ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
Human Animal ◽  
The Relationship

AbstractTherianthropy is the belief that one is at least part non-human animal. This study aimed to address the dichotomization surrounding therianthropy in relation to mental health and wellbeing. One hundred and twelve therians and 265 non-therians completed Ryff’s Scales of Psychological Wellbeing, the O-LIFE questionnaire, and the Autism Spectrum Quotient. The results showed that therians scored lower on variables that are associated with positive social relationships. Such findings may be explained by cognitive factors and/or social factors that are associated with the stigmatization of cross-species identities. However, being a therian moderated the relationship between both autism and introverted anhedonia in relation to autonomy. Thus, a therian identity may act as a protective factor for those experiencing higher levels of autism and schizotypy.

scholarly journals Patterns of Contagious Yawning and Itching Differ Amongst Adults With Autistic Traits vs. Psychopathic Traits

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Molly S. Helt ◽  
Taylor M. Sorensen ◽  
Rachel J. Scheub ◽  
Mira B. Nakhle ◽  
Anna C. Luddy
Keyword(s):  
Eye Gaze ◽  
Autistic Traits ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Psychopathic Traits ◽  
Reactivity Index ◽  
Autism Spectrum Quotient ◽  
Contagious Yawning ◽  
Different Types ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Underlying Processes

Both individuals with diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and individuals high in psychopathic traits show reduced susceptibility to contagious yawning; that is, yawning after seeing or hearing another person yawn. Yet it is unclear whether the same underlying processes (e.g., reduced eye gaze) are responsible for the relationship between reduced contagion and these very different types of clinical traits. College Students (n = 97) watched videos of individuals yawning or scratching (a form of contagion not reliant on eye gaze for transmission) while their eye movements were tracked. They completed the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI), the Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ), the Psychopathy Personality Inventory-Revised (PPI-R), and the Adolescent and Adult Sensory Processing Disorder Checklist. Both psychopathic traits and autistic traits showed an inverse relationship to contagious yawning, consistent with previous research. However, the relationship between autistic (but not psychopathic) traits and contagious yawning was moderated by eye gaze. Furthermore, participants high in autistic traits showed typical levels of contagious itching whereas adults high in psychopathic traits showed diminished itch contagion. Finally, only psychopathic traits were associated with lower overall levels of empathy. The findings imply that the underlying processes contributing to the disruptions in contagious yawning amongst individuals high in autistic vs. psychopathic traits are distinct. In contrast to adults high in psychopathic traits, diminished contagion may appear amongst people with high levels of autistic traits secondary to diminished attention to the faces of others, and in the absence of a background deficit in emotional empathy.

scholarly journals The Consequences of Apostasy: How Changing Core Social and Personal Religious Beliefs Affect Sense of Self, Mental Health, and Identity.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leyla Bolton ◽  
Association of Black Humanists ◽  
Andres Fonseca ◽  
Derek Tracy ◽  
Joseph M Barnby
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Relationships ◽  
Social Factors ◽  
Belief Change ◽  
Sense Of Self ◽  
Dynamic Interaction ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Identity Crises ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Relationship

Though previous research has highlighted the significant and typically positive ‘religion-health’ relationships, little attention has been paid to the psychological and social factors involved in, and resulting from absconding from religion, known as apostasy. This is despite popular culture referencing apostasy as a lonely and distressing experience. Our study qualitatively investigated the experiences and perceptions of those undergoing religious belief change and whether this made participants more vulnerable to poorer mental health. Using grounded theory and semi-structured interviews, we explored these experiences in 13 members of the UK-based Association of Black Humanists, including how they arrived at their belief change and how they felt that this may have impacted their social relationships. Thematic analysis determined a dynamic interaction between perceived predisposing factors, triggers and maintenance. Furthermore, the data suggest the relationship between apostasy and one’s sense of self and mental health to be influenced by identity crises and moderated by protective factors, such as social support. Findings are discussed against previous research and recommendations are made for future investigation.

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

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.

The Relationship of Age with the Autism-Spectrum Quotient Scale in a Large Sample of Adults

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Lodi-Smith ◽  
Jonathan D. Rodgers ◽  
Valeria Marquez Luna ◽  
Sarah Khan ◽  
Caleb J. Long ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Autism Spectrum Quotient ◽  
Large Sample ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
The Relationship

scholarly journals Autism-spectrum traits predict humor styles in the general population

2013 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimmo Eriksson
Keyword(s):  
General Population ◽  
High Functioning Autism ◽  
Broader Autism Phenotype ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Autism Spectrum Quotient ◽  
Humor Styles ◽  
High Functioning ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Autism Phenotype ◽  
Attention To Detail

AbstractPrevious research shows that individuals with Asperger syndrome or high-functioning autism tend to have impaired processing of humor and laugh at things that are not commonly found funny. Here the relationship between humor styles and the broader autism phenotype was investigated in a sample of the general population. The autism-spectrum quotient (AQ) and the humor styles questionnaire (HSQ) were administered to six hundred US participants recruited through an Internet-based service. On the whole, high scores on AQ were negatively related to positive humor styles and unrelated to negative humor styles. However, AQ subscales representing different autism-spectrum traits exhibited different patterns. In particular, the factor “poor mind-reading” was associated with higher scores on negative humor styles and the factor “attention to detail” was associated with higher scores on all humor styles, suggesting a more nuanced picture of the relationship between autism-spectrum traits and humor.

scholarly journals Pathways of Perceptual Primacy: ERP Evidence for Relationships Between Autism Traits and Enhanced Perceptual Functioning

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth A. Kaplan-Kahn ◽  
Aesoon Park ◽  
Natalie Russo
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Perceptual Processing ◽  
Autism Spectrum Quotient ◽  
N400 Effect ◽  
Autism Traits ◽  
Perceptual Functioning ◽  
Related Potentials ◽  
Enhanced Perceptual Functioning ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Attention To Detail

Autistic individuals show enhanced perceptual functioning on many behavioral tasks. Neurophysiological evidence also supports the conclusion that autistic individuals utilize perceptual processes to a greater extent than neurotypical comparisons to support problem solving and reasoning; however, how atypicalities in early perceptual processing influence subsequent cognitive processes remains to be elucidated. The goals of the present study were to test the relationship between early perceptual and subsequent cognitive event related potentials (ERPs) and their relationship to levels of autism traits. 62 neurotypical adults completed the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) and participated in an ERP task. Path models were compared to test causal relationships among an early perceptual ERP (the P1 component), a subsequent cognitive ERP (the N400 effect), and the Attention to Detail subscale of the AQ. The size of participants’ P1 components was positively correlated with the size of their N400 effect and their Attention to Detail score. Model comparisons supported the model specifying that variation in Attention to Detail scores predicted meaningful differences in participants’ ERP waveforms. The relationship between Attention to Detail scores and the size of the N400 effect was significantly mediated by the size of the P1 effect. This study revealed that neurotypical adults with higher levels of Attention to Detail show larger P1 differences, which, in turn, correspond to larger N400 effects. Findings support the Enhanced Perceptual Functioning model of autism, suggesting that early perceptual processing differences may cascade forward and result in modifications to later cognitive mechanisms.

Individual Differences in Autism Traits, Personality, and Emotional Responsiveness to Music in the General Population

2021 ◽  
pp. 102986492098816
Author(s):  
Shalini Sivathasan ◽  
Gwenaëlle Philibert-Lignières ◽  
Eve-Marie Quintin
Keyword(s):  
General Population ◽  
Autistic Traits ◽  
Broader Autism Phenotype ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Autism Spectrum Quotient ◽  
Social Responsiveness ◽  
Emotional Experiences ◽  
Emotional Responsiveness ◽  
The Relationship

Little is known about the relationship between the personality and the emotional experiences of people with broader autism phenotype (BAP) or autistic traits. Given that music is a powerful vehicle for conveying emotions and that several studies show that people with and without autism spectrum disorder (ASD) typically respond to music in similar ways, the present study examines the relationship between personality, autistic traits, and emotional experiences evoked by music. A total of 110 participants ( n = 74 females) aged 18 to 35 years ( M = 21.25, SD = 3.36) completed the NEO-Five Factor Inventory-3-S, Social Responsiveness Scale-2, Autism-Spectrum Quotient, and Goldsmiths Musical Sophistication Index self-report questionnaires. Path analyses revealed that the relationship between autistic traits and emotional responsiveness to music was fully mediated by extraversion, and to a lesser extent openness to experience. These results suggest that people in the general population who have fewer autistic traits and who tend to be extraverted and open to experience report greater emotional responsiveness to music than those who are less extraverted and less open to experience. These findings suggest that it is important to consider personality characteristics when considering the relationship between autistic traits and emotional experiences.

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