Lack of action-sentence compatibility effect in non-clinical individuals with high autistic traits

Keisuke Irie; Shuo Zhao; Rieko Aruga; Amiri Matsumoto; Akari Ogawa; Nan Liang

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1293405

Lack of action-sentence compatibility effect in non-clinical individuals with high autistic traits

Front Psychol. 2023 Dec 6:14:1293405. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1293405. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Keisuke Irie¹, Shuo Zhao², Rieko Aruga¹, Amiri Matsumoto¹, Akari Ogawa¹, Nan Liang¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Advanced Occupational Therapy, Human Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
² School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.

Abstract

Introduction: Patients with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibit atypical responses to language use and comprehension. Recently, various degrees of primary autistic symptoms have been reported in the general population. We focused on autistic traits and examined the differences in mechanisms related to language comprehension using the action-sentence compatibility effect (ACE). ACE is a phenomenon in which response is facilitated when the action matches the behavior described in the statement.

Methods: In total, 70 non-clinical individuals were divided into low autistic and high autistic groups according to their autism spectrum quotient (AQ) scores. ACEs with adverbs and onomatopoeias were examined using a stimulus set of movement-related sentences. A choice-response task helped determine the correct sentence using antonym adverbs (slow and fast) and onomatopoeia (quick and satto) related to the speed of the movement.

Results: The low-AQ group showed ACEs that modulated the reaction time in antonym sentences. The high-AQ group showed less temporal modulation, and their overall reaction time was shorter. The low-AQ group showed faster reaction times for onomatopoeic words; however, the high-AQ group showed a tendency to reverse this trend. In individuals with intermediate autistic traits, the angle effect may be moderated by individual differences in motor skills and experience rather than autistic traits. The stimulus presentation involved a passive paradigm.

Discussion: This study provides insight into language comprehension processes in non-clinical individuals ranging from low to high autistic idiosyncrasy and elucidates language and behavior in individuals at different locations on the autistic trait continuum.

Keywords: action-sentence compatibility effect; autism spectrum quotient; high autistic traits; low autistic traits; mental rotation (MR).

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. The work was partially supported by the JSPS KAKENHI Grant in Aid for Early Career Scientists (No. 22K17631) from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Innovative Medical Technology Research and Development Grant Program from Kyoto City and Kyoto Advanced Technology Research Institute, SPIRIT2 2023 for Kyoto University. The funders had no role in the design of the study or collection, analysis, or interpretation of data or in writing the manuscript.