Recognizing faces based on inferred traits in autism spectrum disorders

Autism. 2010 Nov;14(6):605-18. doi: 10.1177/1362361310372777. Epub 2010 Oct 5.

Abstract

Recent findings indicate that individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) could, surprisingly, infer traits from behavioural descriptions. Now we need to know whether or not individuals with ASD are able to use trait information to identify people by their faces. In this study participants with and without ASD were presented with pairs of faces each accompanied by a sentence. One sentence allowed a trait to be inferred (e.g. 'This is Ross who smiled and said hello to everyone at the party.') and one allowed a fact to be inferred (e.g. 'This is Ben who has to bend down to enter most doors.'). Subsequently, the same face stimuli were presented with a single descriptive trait, fact or name cue (e.g. friendly or tall and Ross or Ben respectively in the above examples). Participants had to choose which of the faces best related to the cue word. Participants with ASD performed surprisingly well in associating traits, facts, and names to the appropriate person significantly above what would be expected by chance. Indeed, they performed as well as participants without ASD.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Asperger Syndrome / psychology
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Child
  • Child Development Disorders, Pervasive / psychology*
  • Cues
  • Face
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Personality
  • Reaction Time
  • Recognition, Psychology*
  • Young Adult