Exploring Personality Profiles as a Source of Phenotypic Diversity in Autistic Children and Adolescents.
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| Title: | Exploring Personality Profiles as a Source of Phenotypic Diversity in Autistic Children and Adolescents. |
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| Authors: | Dewitte, Margo M. J. (AUTHOR), Warreyn, Petra (AUTHOR), Prinzie, Peter (AUTHOR), De Pauw, Sarah S. W. (AUTHOR) |
| Source: | Journal of Autism & Developmental Disorders. Mar2026, Vol. 56 Issue 3, p1058-1073. 16p. |
| Subjects: | Scale analysis (Psychology), Statistical models, Research funding, Data analysis, Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, Personality assessment, Neurodiversity, Autism, Questionnaires, Kruskal-Wallis Test, Descriptive statistics, Internalizing behavior, Parenting, Classification of mental disorders, Chi-squared test, Age distribution, Behavior disorders in children, Intellectual disabilities, Communication, Child Behavior Checklist, Psychological stress, One-way analysis of variance, Statistics, Asperger's syndrome, Psychology of parents, Imagination, Interpersonal relations, Externalizing behavior, Personality tests, Data analysis software, Comparative studies, Phenotypes |
| Abstract: | This study adopts a person-centered approach to evaluate personality diversity as a source of interpersonal variability in autistic children and adolescents, and how personality subgroup membership relates to variability in autistic characteristics, social-emotional presentations, and parenting outcomes. Latent Profile Analysis was used to analyze 569 parent reports on a child-based Five-Factor-Model personality measure (aged 6–18 years; Mage = 11.8 years, SD = 3.1; 70% boys). Four distinct personality profile groups were identified, showing varying levels in the low to average range of all five personality domains. All groups scored lowest on Extraversion and Emotional Stability. They differed the most in Imagination and the least in Emotional Stability. Group 1 (n = 72) exhibited the lowest mean-level scores on all five domains, whereas Group 4 (n = 90) had the highest domain scores. Group 2 (n = 307) and Group 3 (n = 100) showed more diverse patterns. Group membership was meaningfully associated with variation in characteristics of social interaction and communication, internalizing, externalizing, and attentional problems, psychosocial strengths, and positive parenting strategies. Only modest group differences were found in parenting stress. All groups had similar scores on repetitive and restrictive behaviors. These findings help to better understand and support natural subgroups within the autism phenotype by exploring shared personality attributes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| Database: | Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection |
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| Abstract: | This study adopts a person-centered approach to evaluate personality diversity as a source of interpersonal variability in autistic children and adolescents, and how personality subgroup membership relates to variability in autistic characteristics, social-emotional presentations, and parenting outcomes. Latent Profile Analysis was used to analyze 569 parent reports on a child-based Five-Factor-Model personality measure (aged 6–18 years; Mage = 11.8 years, SD = 3.1; 70% boys). Four distinct personality profile groups were identified, showing varying levels in the low to average range of all five personality domains. All groups scored lowest on Extraversion and Emotional Stability. They differed the most in Imagination and the least in Emotional Stability. Group 1 (n = 72) exhibited the lowest mean-level scores on all five domains, whereas Group 4 (n = 90) had the highest domain scores. Group 2 (n = 307) and Group 3 (n = 100) showed more diverse patterns. Group membership was meaningfully associated with variation in characteristics of social interaction and communication, internalizing, externalizing, and attentional problems, psychosocial strengths, and positive parenting strategies. Only modest group differences were found in parenting stress. All groups had similar scores on repetitive and restrictive behaviors. These findings help to better understand and support natural subgroups within the autism phenotype by exploring shared personality attributes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| ISSN: | 01623257 |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s10803-024-06625-7 |
