INS NYC 2024 Program

Poster	Poster Session 10 Program Schedule 02/17/2024 09:00 am - 10:15 am Room: Shubert Complex (Posters 1-60) Poster Session 10: Neurodevelopmental \| Congenital Conditions Final Abstract #28 Information sharing between and within autistic and non-autistic adults Catherine Crompton, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom Michelle Dodd, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom Sarah Foster, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, United States Charlotte Wilks, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom Noah Sasson, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, United States Danielle Ropar, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom Martin Lages, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom Sue Fletcher-Watson, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom Category: Autism Spectrum Disorders/Developmental Disorders/Intellectual Disability Keyword 1: autism spectrum disorder Keyword 2: social cognition Objective: Information sharing depends on social communication skills. Deficits in social communication skills are a core diagnostic criterion for autism. It may therefore be expected that autistic people will be less successful at sharing information, especially with one another. However, recent research has found that autistic social communication difficulties may be context dependent rather than absolute, and reduced when interacting with other autistic people. It may be the mismatch between autistic and non-autistic people, rather than social communication deficits that are commonly described, that reduces information transfer accuracy. In these studies, we examine the accuracy of information sharing between (i) autistic pairs, (ii) non-autistic pairs, and (iii) mixed autistic-with-non-autistic pairs. Participants and Methods: In Study 1 (n = 72), we used a diffusion chain methodology to examine information sharing between (i) autistic pairs, (ii) non-autistic pairs, and (iii) mixed autistic-with-non-autistic pairs. A researcher verbally recounted a story to initial participants, which they shared with a second participant, who shared it with a third participant and so on, within a “diffusion chain” of eight participants. Study 2 is an international, multi-site replication and extension study using the same methodology as Study 1 with a larger sample (n = 324) and the addition of two manipulations: “blind” and “unblind” condition where participants are either informed or uninformed of their partners diagnostic status; and sharing of fictional and factual stories. Results: Study 1: Regression analysis indicated a steeper decline in information transfer for mixed chains (b = –6.04, standard error (SE) = 1.32, p < 0.0001), while autistic chains’ information transfer did not differ to that of chains of non-autistic people (b = 0.13, SE = 1.32, p = 0.93). These results indicate that autistic people can share information with one another as effectively as non-autistic people. Information sharing is selectively poorer within mixed social contexts of autistic and non-autistic people. Study 2: Data collection is complete, and analyses are pre-registered and underway (https://osf.io/us9c7/), and will be completed and included in this presentation. These analyses will allow us to examine whether this effect is replicated in a new and larger sample. We will explore additional factors that may impact information sharing for autistic and non-autistic people, including whether informing participants of the diagnostic status of their communication partner affects information transfer, and whether there are differences in the sharing of fictional and factual information. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that autistic information sharing abilities vary depending on the autism status of their interaction partner, and that more information is accurately shared when autistic people are interacting with other autistic people. These results are a direct challenge to the diagnostic criterion that autistic people lack the social skills for successful interaction. Findings have an impact on our understanding of social communication in autism, and have direct relevance for clinical practice.

Poster

02/17/2024
09:00 am - 10:15 am
Room: Shubert Complex (Posters 1-60)

Poster Session 10: Neurodevelopmental | Congenital Conditions

Final Abstract #28

Information sharing between and within autistic and non-autistic adults

Catherine Crompton, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Michelle Dodd, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Sarah Foster, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, United States
Charlotte Wilks, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
Noah Sasson, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, United States
Danielle Ropar, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
Martin Lages, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
Sue Fletcher-Watson, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Category: Autism Spectrum Disorders/Developmental Disorders/Intellectual Disability

Keyword 1: autism spectrum disorder
Keyword 2: social cognition

Objective:

Information sharing depends on social communication skills. Deficits in social communication skills are a core diagnostic criterion for autism. It may therefore be expected that autistic people will be less successful at sharing information, especially with one another. However, recent research has found that autistic social communication difficulties may be context dependent rather than absolute, and reduced when interacting with other autistic people. It may be the mismatch between autistic and non-autistic people, rather than social communication deficits that are commonly described, that reduces information transfer accuracy. In these studies, we examine the accuracy of information sharing between (i) autistic pairs, (ii) non-autistic pairs, and (iii) mixed autistic-with-non-autistic pairs.

Participants and Methods:

In Study 1 (n = 72), we used a diffusion chain methodology to examine information sharing between (i) autistic pairs, (ii) non-autistic pairs, and (iii) mixed autistic-with-non-autistic pairs. A researcher verbally recounted a story to initial participants, which they shared with a second participant, who shared it with a third participant and so on, within a “diffusion chain” of eight participants.

Study 2 is an international, multi-site replication and extension study using the same methodology as Study 1 with a larger sample (n = 324) and the addition of two manipulations: “blind” and “unblind” condition where participants are either informed or uninformed of their partners diagnostic status; and sharing of fictional and factual stories.

Results:

Study 1: Regression analysis indicated a steeper decline in information transfer for mixed chains (b = –6.04, standard error (SE) = 1.32, p < 0.0001), while autistic chains’ information transfer did not differ to that of chains of non-autistic people (b = 0.13, SE = 1.32, p = 0.93). These results indicate that autistic people can share information with one another as effectively as non-autistic people. Information sharing is selectively poorer within mixed social contexts of autistic and non-autistic people. Study 2: Data collection is complete, and analyses are pre-registered and underway (https://osf.io/us9c7/), and will be completed and included in this presentation. These analyses will allow us to examine whether this effect is replicated in a new and larger sample. We will explore additional factors that may impact information sharing for autistic and non-autistic people, including whether informing participants of the diagnostic status of their communication partner affects information transfer, and whether there are differences in the sharing of fictional and factual information.

Conclusions:

Our findings suggest that autistic information sharing abilities vary depending on the autism status of their interaction partner, and that more information is accurately shared when autistic people are interacting with other autistic people. These results are a direct challenge to the diagnostic criterion that autistic people lack the social skills for successful interaction. Findings have an impact on our understanding of social communication in autism, and have direct relevance for clinical practice.