Atypical Social Judgment and Sensitivity to Perceptual Cues in Autism Spectrum Disorders

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Bibliographic Details
Title: Atypical Social Judgment and Sensitivity to Perceptual Cues in Autism Spectrum Disorders
Language: English
Authors: Forgeot d'Arc, Baudouin, Ramus, Franck, Lefebvre, Aline
Source: Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. May 2016 46(5):1574-1581.
Availability: Springer. 233 Spring Street, New York, NY 10013. Tel: 800-777-4643; Tel: 212-460-1500; Fax: 212-348-4505; e-mail: service-ny@springer.com; Web site: http://www.springerlink.com
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 8
Publication Date: 2016
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Descriptors: Pervasive Developmental Disorders, Cues, Interpersonal Relationship, Stimuli, Photography, Visual Aids, Disabilities, Autism
DOI: 10.1007/s10803-014-2208-5
ISSN: 0162-3257
Abstract: Evaluation of faces is an important dimension of social relationships. A degraded sensitivity to facial perceptual cues might contribute to atypical social interactions in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The current study investigated whether face based social judgment is atypical in ASD and if so, whether it could be related to a degraded sensitivity to facial perceptual cues. Individuals with ASD (n = 33) and IQ- and age-matched controls (n = 38) were enrolled in this study. Watching a series of photographic or synthetic faces, they had to judge them for "kindness". In synthetic stimuli, the amount of perceptual cues available could be either large or small. We observed that social judgment was atypical in the ASD group on photographic stimuli, but, contrarily to the prediction based on the degraded sensitivity hypothesis, analyses on synthetic stimuli found a similar performance and a similar effect of the amount of perceptual cues in both groups. Further studies on perceptual differences between photographs and synthetic pictures of faces might help understand atypical social judgment in ASD.
Abstractor: As Provided
Number of References: 33
Entry Date: 2016
Accession Number: EJ1096627
Database: ERIC
Description
Abstract:Evaluation of faces is an important dimension of social relationships. A degraded sensitivity to facial perceptual cues might contribute to atypical social interactions in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The current study investigated whether face based social judgment is atypical in ASD and if so, whether it could be related to a degraded sensitivity to facial perceptual cues. Individuals with ASD (n = 33) and IQ- and age-matched controls (n = 38) were enrolled in this study. Watching a series of photographic or synthetic faces, they had to judge them for "kindness". In synthetic stimuli, the amount of perceptual cues available could be either large or small. We observed that social judgment was atypical in the ASD group on photographic stimuli, but, contrarily to the prediction based on the degraded sensitivity hypothesis, analyses on synthetic stimuli found a similar performance and a similar effect of the amount of perceptual cues in both groups. Further studies on perceptual differences between photographs and synthetic pictures of faces might help understand atypical social judgment in ASD.
ISSN:0162-3257
DOI:10.1007/s10803-014-2208-5