Reduced sensitivity to situational change in individuals with autism spectrum condition
Introduction Individuals with autism spectrum condition (ASC) frequently report difficulties in detecting changes in social situations, which considerably hinder interpersonal communications. Objectives To better understand the features of detecting changes in social situations among individuals...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Cambridge University Press
2021-04-01
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| Series: | European Psychiatry |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0924933821020332/type/journal_article |
| _version_ | 1797616590027489280 |
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| author | S. Tei J. Fujino |
| author_facet | S. Tei J. Fujino |
| author_sort | S. Tei |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
Introduction
Individuals with autism spectrum condition (ASC) frequently report difficulties in detecting changes in social situations, which considerably hinder interpersonal communications.
Objectives
To better understand the features of detecting changes in social situations among individuals with ASC.
Methods
Individuals with ASC (N=24) and typical development (TD) (N=24) were included. To examine participants’ sensitivity to situational contexts, we conducted an economic-game task: a modified computer version of the ultimatum game (mod-UG). In UG, two players were offered a chance to win 10 coins after dividing it amongst themselves. The proposer suggests how to split the sum and the responder can accept or reject the deal. After practice, all participants played the role of responders with an imaginary proposer. Participants had to decide whether to accept or reject proposers’ fair/unfair offers. In our mod-UG, additional condition was included that involved intentionality considerations: Unfair offers were displayed with another identical unfair offer. This emphasized the proposers’ inevitable situation of unfair offers. Subsequently, we conducted a 2×2 repeated-measures ANOVA (unfair offers with/without additional cues)×(ASC/TD).
Results
Participants indeed accepted unfair offers significantly more frequently when the other player’s unfair proposal was unavoidable in cue-added conditions, when compared to unfair offers in no-cue conditions. This suggested that participants considered their opponent’s perspective more attentively in cue-added conditions. However, this effect was significantly decreased in the ASC-group (p<0.05; group-condition interaction).
Conclusions
Decreased sensitivity to situational changes among ASC-individuals may be partly due to diminished or inflexible shifting of perspective. Whether this systematized decision-making associates with attentional-bias and stereotyped-behaviors requires further investigation.
Disclosure
No significant relationships.
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| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T07:42:18Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8f7a6351c4f04aa2b21eb7df5b4b8b4c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0924-9338 1778-3585 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T07:42:18Z |
| publishDate | 2021-04-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | European Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj.art-8f7a6351c4f04aa2b21eb7df5b4b8b4c2023-11-17T05:08:16ZengCambridge University PressEuropean Psychiatry0924-93381778-35852021-04-0164S768S76810.1192/j.eurpsy.2021.2033Reduced sensitivity to situational change in individuals with autism spectrum conditionS. Tei0J. Fujino1Department Of Psychiatry, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan Institute Of Applied Brain Sciences, Waseda University, Saitama, Japan School Of Human And Social Sciences, Tokyo International University, Saitama, Japan Medical Institute Of Developmental Disabilities Research, Showa University, Tokyo, JapanDepartment Of Psychiatry, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan Medical Institute Of Developmental Disabilities Research, Showa University, Tokyo, Japan Department Of Psychiatry And Behavioral Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan Introduction Individuals with autism spectrum condition (ASC) frequently report difficulties in detecting changes in social situations, which considerably hinder interpersonal communications. Objectives To better understand the features of detecting changes in social situations among individuals with ASC. Methods Individuals with ASC (N=24) and typical development (TD) (N=24) were included. To examine participants’ sensitivity to situational contexts, we conducted an economic-game task: a modified computer version of the ultimatum game (mod-UG). In UG, two players were offered a chance to win 10 coins after dividing it amongst themselves. The proposer suggests how to split the sum and the responder can accept or reject the deal. After practice, all participants played the role of responders with an imaginary proposer. Participants had to decide whether to accept or reject proposers’ fair/unfair offers. In our mod-UG, additional condition was included that involved intentionality considerations: Unfair offers were displayed with another identical unfair offer. This emphasized the proposers’ inevitable situation of unfair offers. Subsequently, we conducted a 2×2 repeated-measures ANOVA (unfair offers with/without additional cues)×(ASC/TD). Results Participants indeed accepted unfair offers significantly more frequently when the other player’s unfair proposal was unavoidable in cue-added conditions, when compared to unfair offers in no-cue conditions. This suggested that participants considered their opponent’s perspective more attentively in cue-added conditions. However, this effect was significantly decreased in the ASC-group (p<0.05; group-condition interaction). Conclusions Decreased sensitivity to situational changes among ASC-individuals may be partly due to diminished or inflexible shifting of perspective. Whether this systematized decision-making associates with attentional-bias and stereotyped-behaviors requires further investigation. Disclosure No significant relationships. https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0924933821020332/type/journal_articleflexibilityautismultimatum gameAttention |
| spellingShingle | S. Tei J. Fujino Reduced sensitivity to situational change in individuals with autism spectrum condition European Psychiatry flexibility autism ultimatum game Attention |
| title | Reduced sensitivity to situational change in individuals with autism spectrum condition |
| title_full | Reduced sensitivity to situational change in individuals with autism spectrum condition |
| title_fullStr | Reduced sensitivity to situational change in individuals with autism spectrum condition |
| title_full_unstemmed | Reduced sensitivity to situational change in individuals with autism spectrum condition |
| title_short | Reduced sensitivity to situational change in individuals with autism spectrum condition |
| title_sort | reduced sensitivity to situational change in individuals with autism spectrum condition |
| topic | flexibility autism ultimatum game Attention |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0924933821020332/type/journal_article |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT stei reducedsensitivitytosituationalchangeinindividualswithautismspectrumcondition AT jfujino reducedsensitivitytosituationalchangeinindividualswithautismspectrumcondition |