“Second guessing yourself all the time about what they really mean…”: Cognitive differences between autistic and non-autistic adults in understanding implied meaning

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Wilson ◽  
Dorothy Vera Margaret Bishop
Keyword(s):  
Language Ability ◽  
Test Format ◽  
Cognitive Differences ◽  
Autistic People ◽  
Cognitive Preference ◽  
Core Language ◽  
Implied Meaning ◽  
Cognitive Preferences ◽  
Explicit Communication ◽  
Selection Of

This study investigated cognitive differences between autistic and non-autistic people in understanding implied meaning in conversation using a novel computerized test, the Implicature Comprehension Test. Controlling for core language ability, autistic participants (N = 66) were over twice as likely to endorse a non-normative interpretation of an implied meaning and over five times as likely to select ‘don’t know’ when asked about the presence of an implied meaning, compared to non-autistic participants (N = 118). A further experiment suggested that the selection of ‘don’t know’ reflected a cognitive preference for certainty and explicit communication, and that the normative inference could often be made when the test format was more constrained. Our research supports the hypothesis that autistic individuals can find it challenging to process language in its pragmatic context, and that cognitive preferences play a role in this.

Is it impolite to discuss cognitive differences between liberals and conservatives?

2014 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 313-314 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gordon Hodson
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Ability ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Cognitive Differences ◽  
Cognitive Preferences ◽  
Negative Stimuli

AbstractHibbing and colleagues argue convincingly that liberals and conservatives differ in reactivity to (negative) stimuli. Yet their analysis sidesteps evidence that cognitive ability differs as a function of ideology. Cognitive abilities, like cognitive preferences (e.g., structure needs), shape whether stimuli are psychologically threatening (prompting avoidance) or offer opportunity (prompting approach). Incorporation of these findings is critical despite any socially “delicate” implications.

Selecting models and setting standards for teachers of English in Hong Kong

2002 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Coniam ◽  
Peter Falvey
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Ability ◽  
Minimum Standard ◽  
Second Language Teaching ◽  
Benchmark Assessment ◽  
The Past ◽  
Setting Process ◽  
The Standard Model ◽  
Selection Of

The perception of falling standards in education, and in second language teaching in particular, has been a constant refrain for the past 20 years as changing needs and practices affect economic processes and manpower requirements. Within this context, this article deals with the establishment of language standards (‘benchmarks’) for teachers of English in Hong Kong. The article deals with two separate but linked notions: first, the notion of which model of the English language should be used as the standard model for English language teacher benchmark assessment in Hong Kong; second, the level of language ability that will be decided upon in order to establish the proficiency standards expected of teachers of English. The article first describes the background to the setting of language standards for teachers of English in Hong Kong. It then examines the selection of and justification for the model of English selected as the ‘minimum standard’. The following section considers the level of language ability agreed upon as the standard that teachers of English need to attain. The article concludes with an examination of the extent to which the standards that have been agreed upon match the needs of the major stakeholders in the standard-setting process.

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.

scholarly journals "If you catch my drift...": ability to infer implied meaning is distinct from vocabulary and grammar skills

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. 68 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander C. Wilson ◽  
Dorothy V.M. Bishop
Keyword(s):  
Factor Structure ◽  
Factor Model ◽  
Language Skills ◽  
Pragmatic Language ◽  
General Factor ◽  
Social Understanding ◽  
Adult Participants ◽  
Confirmatory Analysis ◽  
Core Language ◽  
Implied Meaning

Background: Some individuals with autism find it challenging to use and understand language in conversation, despite having good abilities in core aspects of language such as grammar and vocabulary. This suggests that pragmatic skills (such as understanding implied meanings in conversation) are separable from core language skills. However, it has been surprisingly difficult to demonstrate this dissociation in the general population. We propose that this may be because prior studies have used tasks in which different aspects of language are confounded. Methods: The present study used novel language tasks and factor analysis to test whether pragmatic understanding of implied meaning, as part of a broader domain involving social understanding, is separable from core language skills. 120 adult participants were recruited online to complete a 7-task battery, including a test assessing comprehension of conversational implicature. Results: In confirmatory analysis of a preregistered model, we compared whether the data showed better fit to a two-factor structure (including a “social understanding” and “core language” factor) or a simpler one-factor structure (comprising a general factor). The two-factor model showed significantly better fit. Conclusions: This study supports the view that interpreting context-dependent conversational meaning is partially distinct from core language skills. This has implications for understanding the pragmatic language impairments reported in autism.

Self-advocacy and self-determination of autistic students: a review of the literature

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 107-116 ◽  
Author(s):  
William James Zuber ◽  
Colin Webber
Keyword(s):  
Critical Discourse Analysis ◽  
Self Determination ◽  
Critical Discourse ◽  
Self Advocacy ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Education Practice ◽  
Support Strategies ◽  
Autistic People ◽  
Selection Of

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine current research on self-advocacy and self-determination of autistic students in order to provide an overview of the research and to critically evaluate researcher’s methods of inclusivity of autistic people. Additionally, this paper will critically analyse the discourse of the current research to assess the extent of deficit, stigma and pathology discourse. Design/methodology/approach Research will be selected from a list of criteria which is to seek research that is inclusive of autistic people. The research will be analysed using elements of critical discourse analysis, critical disability studies and critical autism studies. The critical autism studies approach used in this paper is emancipatory to promote autistic scholarship, autistic inclusivity and autistic led research methods. Findings The result of this paper is that by prioritising, and including autistic individuals in the studies about them provides valuable educational insights and often challenges assumptions, stigmas and stereotypes of autistic individuals. Research limitations/implications The findings of the paper may be limited by the selection of literature reviewed and generalizability, therefore, researchers are encouraged to explore further. Practical implications This paper holds potential implications that question the consistency of current discourse and research into self-advocacy for autistic individuals in addition to providing effective research, teaching and support strategies based on insight. This paper also highlights some research that challenges assumptions of autistic individuals. Social implications This paper challenges assumptions and stigmas associated with autistic individuals and demonstrates the importance of self-advocacy and self-determination. This research transforms the paradigm of autism and education practice that has the potential to improve autistic individuals’ education and ultimately, improve their lives. Originality/value This research is important and valuable as there is limited research in this area. The potential of this research is that it can shift the broad perceptions of autism and make improvements in education and autistic individuals lives.

scholarly journals Percussive tool use by Taï Western chimpanzees and Fazenda Boa Vista bearded capuchin monkeys: a comparison

2015 ◽  
Vol 370 (1682) ◽  
pp. 20140351 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisabetta Visalberghi ◽  
Giulia Sirianni ◽  
Dorothy Fragaszy ◽  
Christophe Boesch
Keyword(s):  
Tool Use ◽  
Social Factors ◽  
Cognitive Factors ◽  
Capuchin Monkeys ◽  
Human Origins ◽  
Cognitive Differences ◽  
Transport Distance ◽  
Nut Cracking ◽  
Tool Modification ◽  
Selection Of

Percussive tool use holds special interest for scientists concerned with human origins. We summarize the findings from two field sites, Taï and Fazenda Boa Vista, where percussive tool use by chimpanzees and bearded capuchins, respectively, has been extensively investigated. We describe the ecological settings in which nut-cracking occurs and focus on four aspects of nut-cracking that have important cognitive implications, namely selection of tools, tool transport, tool modification and modulation of actions to reach the goal of cracking the nut. We comment on similarities and differences in behaviour and consider whether the observed differences reflect ecological, morphological, social and/or cognitive factors. Both species are sensitive to physical properties of tools, adjust their selection of hammers conditionally to the resistance of the nuts and to transport distance, and modulate the energy of their strikes under some conditions. However, chimpanzees transport hammers more frequently and for longer distances, take into account a higher number of combinations of variables and occasionally intentionally modify tools. A parsimonious interpretation of our findings is that morphological, ecological and social factors account for the observed differences. Confirmation of plausible cognitive differences in nut-cracking requires data not yet available.

scholarly journals Peculiarities in Understanding of Indirect Meaning of Proverbs and Idioms by Children of Pre-School Age

2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 149-182
Author(s):  
Larysa Kalmykova ◽  
Nataliia Kharchenko ◽  
Іnna Мysаn
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Task ◽  
Language Ability ◽  
School Age ◽  
Complex Cognitive Task ◽  
New Association ◽  
The Common ◽  
General Meaning ◽  
The Given ◽  
Participation Number ◽  
Selection Of

The study reveales psycholinguistic peculiarities of understanding of indirect meaning of the proverbs and idioms of Ukrainian speaking pre-school children. The experiment took place on the basis of pre-school education establishments of Ukraine. The participation number is 378 children at the age of 5 years (till 5.5 years). The used psycholinguistic methods are: а) «evaluation of understanding of the indirect metaphors meaning» (Vygotskyi, 2000); b) «evaluation of proverbs understanding» (Luriia, 1998). The other used psycholinguistic methods are: а) «Proverbs understanding» (Luriia, 1998), adopted for the diagnoses of metaphoric understanding of idioms meaning by children; b) «The interpretation choice of one of the given variants of meanings» (Baskakova & Glukhov, 2008; Eliseeva, Gutsc & Marini, 2017); c) selection of one of several possible paraphrases (Winner, Rosenstiel & Gardner, 1976; Vosniadou & Ortony, 1983). Children were proposed to express themselves in order to find out how they understand given proverbs and idioms. If they had difficulties in meaning explication, so they were proposed some variants of proverbs and idioms interpretations, among which the first was correct (with indirect meaning) and the second with the direct meaning and the third with occasional associative meaning. The experiment proved such results: there are children with obvious intuitive language ability to feel the general meaning of proverbs and idioms. The part of children of the age of five years is able to verbalize the indirect proverb meaning (4,2%) and idioms meaning (7,4%). In the situation with one variant of meaning among some paraphrases 16,4% of children chose the correct proverb meaning, 20,4% of children chose the correct idiom meaning. More difficult for children’s understanding are proverbs, than idioms. It could be explained in the way, that idiomatic expressions are one whole and one nomination that a child often interprets in daily life from adults in some specific life situations. That is why he or she uses more quickly the heard word complex in a new association chain, abstracting from the direct meaning of idiomatic words. The proverb understanding is seen by child as more complex cognitive task, which foresees decipherment of the common thought or conclusion, understanding its meaning (implication). That is why the proverbs cause more problems among children than idioms.

scholarly journals "If you catch my drift...": ability to infer implied meaning is distinct from vocabulary and grammar skills

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. 68 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander C. Wilson ◽  
Dorothy V.M. Bishop
Keyword(s):  
Factor Structure ◽  
Factor Model ◽  
Language Skills ◽  
Pragmatic Language ◽  
General Factor ◽  
Social Understanding ◽  
Adult Participants ◽  
Confirmatory Analysis ◽  
Core Language ◽  
Implied Meaning

Background: Some individuals with autism find it challenging to use and understand language in conversation, despite having good abilities in core aspects of language such as grammar and vocabulary. This suggests that pragmatic skills (such as understanding implied meanings in conversation) are separable from core language skills. However, it has been surprisingly difficult to demonstrate this dissociation in the general population. We propose that this may be because prior studies have used tasks in which different aspects of language are confounded. Methods: The present study used novel language tasks and factor analysis to test whether pragmatic understanding of implied meaning, as part of a broader domain involving social understanding, is separable from core language skills. 120 adult participants were recruited online to complete a 7-task battery, including a test assessing comprehension of conversational implicature. Results: In confirmatory analysis of a preregistered model, we compared whether the data showed better fit to a two-factor structure (including a “social understanding” and “core language” factor) or a simpler one-factor structure (comprising a general factor). The two-factor model showed significantly better fit. Conclusions: This study supports the view that interpreting context-dependent conversational meaning is partially distinct from core language skills. This has implications for understanding the pragmatic language impairments reported in autism.

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