Empathic disequilibrium in two different measures of empathy predicts autistic traits in neurotypical population

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ido Shalev ◽  
Florina Uzefovsky
Keyword(s):  
Developmental Trajectories ◽  
Autistic Traits ◽  
Cognitive Empathy ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Reactivity Index ◽  
Autism Spectrum Conditions ◽  
Autism Spectrum Quotient ◽  
Empathy Score ◽  
Empathy Quotient ◽  
Social Difficulties

Background. Features of autism spectrum conditions (ASC) are normally distributed within the population, giving rise to the notion of the autistic spectrum. One of the hallmark features of ASC is difficulties in social communication, which relies heavily on our ability to empathize with others. Empathy comprises of both cognitive (CE) and emotional (EE) components that, together, allow us to understand another's emotions and be affected by them appropriately, while maintaining a self-other distinction. Although CE and EE depend on distinct neural and developmental trajectories, it was suggested that the two empathic capacities can influence, balance, and regulate each other. Previous findings regarding the role of emotional and cognitive empathy in ASC have been mixed. Therefore, our study aimed to investigate whether the intra-personal empathy imbalance between the cognitive and emotional components, a measure we termed empathic disequilibrium (ED), can be associated with autistic traits at the neurotypical range.Methods. Participants were 671 neurotypical young-adults who self-reported their empathy, assessed using two highly validated questionnaires - the Interpersonal Reactivity Index and the Empathy Quotient, autistic traits using the Autism spectrum quotient, and the related traits, alexithymia, and systemizing.Results. Controlling for the total empathy score, greater ED was found to be positively correlated with autistic traits. Specifically, autistic traits were found to be elevated in groups of individuals with relatively higher EE than CE, underscoring their imbalance.Conclusions. Our study offers a novel perspective on the understanding of the social difficulties associated with autistic tendencies in the general population, and has potentially important clinical implications for understanding of ASC. We also propose a novel characterization of ASC based on the imbalance between EE and CE, which we term ED, as opposed to examining EE and CE separately.

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 Comparison of Autistic Traits between Iranian Students with Different Ethnical Background: A Cross-Cultural Study ​

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mojtaba Elhami Athar ◽  
Ali Ebrahimi ◽  
Sirvan Karimi ◽  
Roya Esmaeili ◽  
Esmaeil Mousavi Asl ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Differences ◽  
Autistic Traits ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Autism Spectrum Conditions ◽  
Clinical Samples ◽  
Autism Spectrum Quotient ◽  
Medical Sciences ◽  
Student Sample ◽  
Number Pattern

Abstract Background: Autistic traits (ATs) include symptoms associated with autism spectrum conditions (ASCs), which are assumed to be continuously distributed across the general population. Studies had indicated the cultural differences in the expression ATs. To our knowledge, this is the first study designed to compare the expression of autistic traits between different ethnicities from the same country. Methods: Using the Autism-spectrum Quotient (AQ-28), we examined the possible cultural differences in the expression of autistic traits from four groups of students with different ethnicities backgrounds, including Turkish (n = 262), Persian (n = 290), Kurdish (n = 300), and Luri (n = 307) students. Results: Behaviors associated with autistic traits were reported overall higher for males than females. Also, significant cultural differences in autistic traits were found that were different for males and females. Furthermore, while the medical sciences student group scored significantly than the humanities group in the Imagination dimension, the humanities group had significantly high scores in Number/Pattern dimensions than the engineering and medical sciences groups. Limitations: First, other ethnicities (e.g., Arabs, Baloch) were not studied because of the lack of access. Second, for data gathering, we used only the self-report method. Third, our study included only a student sample but not the community and clinical samples from different ethnicities. Finally, our study sample included only students who are not representative of their entire ethnicity.Conclusions: Altogether, our results provide further support for the idea that the expression of ATs is significantly influenced by culture.

scholarly journals Exploring sex differences in autistic traits: A factor analytic study of adults with autism

Autism ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 760-768 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel Grove ◽  
Rosa A Hoekstra ◽  
Marlies Wierda ◽  
Sander Begeer
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Factor Structure ◽  
Short Form ◽  
Autistic Traits ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Autism Spectrum Conditions ◽  
Autism Spectrum Quotient ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Autism Phenotype

Research has highlighted potential differences in the phenotypic and clinical presentation of autism spectrum conditions across sex. Furthermore, the measures utilised to evaluate autism spectrum conditions may be biased towards the male autism phenotype. It is important to determine whether these instruments measure the autism phenotype consistently in autistic men and women. This study evaluated the factor structure of the Autism Spectrum Quotient Short Form in a large sample of autistic adults. It also systematically explored specific sex differences at the item level, to determine whether the scale assesses the autism phenotype equivalently across males and females. Factor analyses were conducted among 265 males and 285 females. A two-factor structure consisting of a social behaviour and numbers and patterns factor was consistent across groups, indicating that the latent autism phenotype is similar among both autistic men and women. Subtle differences were observed on two social behaviour item thresholds of the Autism Spectrum Quotient Short Form, with women reporting scores more in line with the scores expected in autism on these items than men. However, these differences were not substantial. This study showed that the Autism Spectrum Quotient Short Form detects autistic traits equivalently in males and females and is not biased towards the male autism phenotype.

scholarly journals Processing of expressions by individuals with autistic traits: Empathy deficit or sensory hyper-reactivity?

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (7) ◽  
pp. e0254207
Author(s):  
Chunyan Meng ◽  
Chao Huo ◽  
Hongxin Ge ◽  
Zuoshan Li ◽  
Yuanyan Hu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Event Related Potentials ◽  
Autistic Traits ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Autism Spectrum Quotient ◽  
World Theory ◽  
The Face ◽  
Related Potentials ◽  
Social Difficulties ◽  
The Mind ◽  
Sensory Overload

Individuals with autistic traits display impaired social interaction and communication in everyday life, but the underlying cognitive neural mechanisms remain very unclear and still remain controversial. The mind-blindness hypothesis suggests that social difficulties in individuals with autistic traits are caused by empathy impairment in individuals; however, the intense world theory suggests that these social difficulties are caused by sensory hyper-reactivity and sensory overload, rather than empathy impairment. To further test these two theories, this study investigated event-related potentials (ERPs) to explore the cognitive neural processing of repetitive expressions in individuals with autistic traits. This study employed the Mandarin version of the autism-spectrum quotient (AQ) to assess autistic traits in 2,502 healthy adults. Two subset groups were used, e.g., the participants of a high-AQ group were randomly selected among the 10% of individuals with the highest AQ scores; similarly, the participants in the low-AQ group were randomly selected from the 10% of participants with the lowest AQ scores. In an experiment, three different facial expressions (positive, neutral, or negative) of the same person were presented successively and pseudo-randomly in each trial. Participants needed to define the expression of the face that was presented last. The results showed that compared with the low-AQ group, the high-AQ group exhibited higher P1 amplitudes induced by the second and third presented expressions, as well as higher P3 amplitudes induced by the third presented negative expressions. This indicates that individuals with autistic traits may experience overly strong perception, attention, and cognitive evaluation to repetitive expressions, particularly negative expressions. This result supports the intense world theory more strongly than the mind-blindness hypothesis.

scholarly journals Comparison of Autistic Traits Between Iranian Students With Different Ethnic Backgrounds: A Cross-Cultural Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mojtaba Elhami Athar ◽  
Ali Ebrahimi ◽  
Sirvan Karimi ◽  
Roya Esmailzadeh ◽  
Esmaeil Mousavi Asl ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Differences ◽  
Autistic Traits ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Autism Spectrum Conditions ◽  
Autism Spectrum Quotient ◽  
Medical Sciences ◽  
Cross Cultural Differences ◽  
Number Pattern ◽  
Iranian Students

Autistic traits (ATs) include symptoms associated with autism spectrum conditions (ASCs), which are assumed to be continuously distributed across the general population. Studies have indicated the cultural differences in the expression of ATs. Notwithstanding, our literature review indicated that studies on cross-cultural differences in the expression of ATs included samples from different countries. This is the first study designed to compare the expression of ATs between different ethnicities from the same country. Using the Autism-spectrum Quotient (AQ-28), we examined the possible cultural differences in the expression of autistic traits from four groups of students with different ethnic backgrounds, including Turkish (n = 262), Persian (n = 290), Kurdish (n = 300), and Luri (n = 307) students. Behaviors associated with autistic traits were reported overall higher for males than females. Also, significant cultural differences in autistic traits were found that were different for males and females. Furthermore, while the medical sciences student group scored significantly higher than the humanities group in the Imagination dimension, the humanities group had significantly higher scores in Number/Pattern dimensions than the engineering and medical sciences groups. Altogether, our results provide further support for the idea that the expression of ATs is significantly influenced by culture. A significant limitation of the current study was that groups were not matched with respect to age, percentage of male participants, and fields of studies and that these variables may influence the AQ scores.

scholarly journals Assortative Mating, Autistic Traits, Empathizing, and Systemizing

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gareth Richards ◽  
Simon Baron-Cohen ◽  
Holly Stokes ◽  
Varun Warrier ◽  
Ben Mellor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Assortative Mating ◽  
Social Stratification ◽  
Autistic Traits ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Random Pattern ◽  
Autism Spectrum Quotient ◽  
Romantic Couples ◽  
Empathy Quotient ◽  
The Difference

AbstractIt has been suggested that the children of parents with particular interests and aptitude for understanding systems via input-operation-output rules (i.e. systemizing) are at increased likelihood of developing autism. Furthermore, assortative mating (i.e. a non-random pattern in which individuals are more likely to pair with others who are similar to themselves) is hypothesised to occur in relation to systemizing, and so romantic couples may be more similar on this variable than chance would dictate. However, no published study has yet tested this hypothesis. We therefore examined intra-couple correlations for a measure of autistic traits (Autism Spectrum Quotient [AQ]), self-report measures of empathizing (Empathy Quotient [EQ]), and systemizing (Systemizing Quotient-Revised [SQ-R]), as well as the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET) and Embedded Figures Task (EFT). We observed positive intra-couple correlations of small-to-medium magnitude for all measures except EQ. Further analyses suggest that these effects are attributable to people pairing with those who are more similar to themselves than chance (initial assortment) rather than becoming more alike over the course of a relationship (convergence), and to seeking out self-resembling partners (active assortment) rather than pairing in this manner due to social stratification increasing the likelihood of similar people meeting in the first place (social homogamy). Additionally, we found that the difference in scores for the AQ, SQ-R, RMET and EFT of actual couples were smaller (i.e. more similar) than the average difference scores calculated from all other possible male-female pairings within the dataset. The current findings therefore provide clear evidence in support of the assortative mating theory of autism.

scholarly journals Developmental trajectories of autistic social traits in the general population

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.

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

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.

scholarly journals The Comprehensive Autistic Trait Inventory (CATI): development and validation of a new measure of autistic traits in the general population

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael C. W. English ◽  
Gilles E. Gignac ◽  
Troy A. W. Visser ◽  
Andrew J. O. Whitehouse ◽  
James T. Enns ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
General Population ◽  
Measurement Invariance ◽  
High Reliability ◽  
Predictive Ability ◽  
Autistic Traits ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Autism Spectrum Quotient ◽  
Sensory Sensitivity ◽  
Wide Range

Abstract Background Traits and characteristics qualitatively similar to those seen in diagnosed autism spectrum disorder can be found to varying degrees in the general population. To measure these traits and facilitate their use in autism research, several questionnaires have been developed that provide broad measures of autistic traits [e.g. Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ), Broad Autism Phenotype Questionnaire (BAPQ)]. However, since their development, our understanding of autism has grown considerably, and it is arguable that existing measures do not provide an ideal representation of the trait dimensions currently associated with autism. Our aim was to create a new measure of autistic traits that reflects our current understanding of autism, the Comprehensive Autism Trait Inventory (CATI). Methods In Study 1, 107 pilot items were administered to 1119 individuals in the general population and exploratory factor analysis of responses used to create the 42-item CATI comprising six subscales: Social Interactions, Communication, Social Camouflage, Repetitive Behaviours, Cognitive Rigidity, and Sensory Sensitivity. In Study 2, the CATI was administered to 1068 new individuals and confirmatory factor analysis used to verify the factor structure. The AQ and BAPQ were administered to validate the CATI, and additional autistic participants were recruited to compare the predictive ability of the measures. In Study 3, to validate the CATI subscales, the CATI was administered to 195 new individuals along with existing valid measures qualitatively similar to each CATI subscale. Results The CATI showed convergent validity at both the total-scale (r ≥ .79) and subscale level (r ≥ .68). The CATI also showed superior internal reliability for total-scale scores (α = .95) relative to the AQ (α = .90) and BAPQ (α = .94), consistently high reliability for subscales (α > .81), greater predictive ability for classifying autism (Youden’s Index = .62 vs .56–.59), and demonstrated measurement invariance for sex. Limitations Analyses of predictive ability for classifying autism depended upon self-reported diagnosis or identification of autism. The autistic sample was not large enough to test measurement invariance of autism diagnosis. Conclusions The CATI is a reliable and economical new measure that provides observations across a wide range of trait dimensions associated with autism, potentially precluding the need to administer multiple measures, and to our knowledge, the CATI is also the first broad measure of autistic traits to have dedicated subscales for social camouflage and sensory sensitivity.

Chilean Version of the Empathy Quotient (EQ) Scale: Adaptation and Psychometric Properties

2021 ◽  
Vol 24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana María Fernández ◽  
Carmen Gloria Baeza ◽  
Paula Pavez ◽  
Nerea Aldunate
Keyword(s):  
Social Skills ◽  
Psychometric Properties ◽  
Emotional Reactivity ◽  
Structural Model ◽  
Cognitive Empathy ◽  
Reactivity Index ◽  
Community Group ◽  
The Social ◽  
Empathy Quotient ◽  
Aggression Questionnaire

Abstract We evaluated the psychometric properties of the empathy quotient (EQ) scale translated to Spanish in Chile. We estimated its structural validity, and its construct validity with other convergent measures of empathy and attachment, as well an inversely associated construct such as aggression. We used a general sample of students and community individuals (n = 336). Participants completed the EQ, Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI), and Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire (BPAQ). Another exclusively community group (n = 102) completed Collins Adult Attachment scale and the EQ. CFA and ESEM analyses confirmed the structural model fit of the data to three previously reported dimensions of the EQ: cognitive empathy (CE), emotional reactivity (ER) and social skills (SS). Sex-differences in emotional reactivity, and the predicted relationships with the convergent measures were observed. The current Chilean version of the EQ resulted in an appropriate multidimensional measurement of empathy. Finally, providing a specific social skills dimension extends the traditional conception of cognitive and affective empathy to the social realm in the Chilean context.

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