A test of central coherence theory: Can adults with high-functioning autism or Asperger syndrome integrate fragments of an object?

Jolliffe, Therese; Baron‐Cohen, Simon

doi:10.1080/13546800042000124

Cited by 58 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…(Mottron, Burack, Iarocci, Belleville, & Enns, 2003;Plaisted, Saksida, Alcántara, & Weisblatt, 2003). However, these findings are at odds with other research reporting disrupted integrative processing in autism (e.g., Jarrold & Russell, 1997;Jolliffe & Baron-Cohen, 2001). …”

contrasting

confidence: 56%

Multiple cognitive capabilities/deficits in children with an autism spectrum disorder: “Weak” central coherence and its relationship to theory of mind and executive control

Pellicano

Maybery

Durkin

et al. 2006

Develop. Psychopathol.

204

164

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Running title: Weak central coherence in autismWeak central coherence in autism 1Multiple cognitive capabilities/deficits in children with autism spectrum disorder: 'Weak' central coherence and its relationship to theory of mind and executive control This study examined the validity of 'weak' central coherence (CC) in the context of multiple cognitive capabilities/deficits in autism. Children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and matched typically developing children were administered tasks tapping visuospatial coherence, false belief understanding and aspects of executive control. Significant group differences were found in all three cognitive domains. Evidence of local processing on coherence tasks was widespread in the ASD group, while difficulties in attributing false beliefs, and components of executive functioning were present in fewer of the children with ASD. Furthermore, weak CC was unrelated to false belief understanding, but aspects of coherence (related to integration) were associated with planning ability. Few associations were found between cognitive variables and indices of autistic symptomatology. Implications for a multiple capabilities/deficits view of autism are discussed.

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contrasting

confidence: 56%

Multiple cognitive capabilities/deficits in children with an autism spectrum disorder: “Weak” central coherence and its relationship to theory of mind and executive control

Pellicano

Maybery

Durkin

et al. 2006

Develop. Psychopathol.

204

164

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…The lack of effect on the global processing task used here could be due to the choice of task and instructions given; it is possible that participants were able to identify the object by looking at a single piece rather than attempting to combine EXPLORING "THE AUTISMS" AT A COGNITIVE LEVEL 18 the pieces. This possible pitfall could have been avoided by using the modified version of the task (Jolliffe & Baron-Cohen, 2001) where the combined picture cannot be interpreted from the fragments. Together, our tasks classified only 13% of the current sample of children as displaying an LB.…”

Section: Cognitive Universalitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring ‘The autisms’ at a cognitive level

et al. 2016

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The autism spectrum is characterized by genetic and behavioral heterogeneity. However, it is still unknown whether there is a universal pattern of cognitive impairment in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and whether multiple cognitive impairments are needed to explain the full range of behavioral symptoms. This study aimed to determine whether three widely acknowledged cognitive abnormalities (Theory of Mind (ToM) impairment, Executive Function (EF) impairment, and the presence of a Local Processing Bias (LB)) are universal and fractionable in autism, and whether the relationship between cognition and behavior is dependent on the method of behavioral assessment. Thirty‐one high‐functioning children with ASD and thirty‐seven children with neurotypical development (NTD), comparable in age, gender and Intelligence Quotient (IQ), completed several tasks tapping into ToM, EF, and LB, and autistic symptomatology was assessed through parental and teacher questionnaires, parental interview and direct observation. We found that ToM and EF deficits differentiated the groups and some ToM and EF tasks were related to each other. ToM and EF were together able to correctly classify more than three‐quarters of the children into cases and controls, despite relating to none of the specific behavioral measures. Only a small subgroup of individuals displayed a LB, which was unrelated to ToM and EF, and did not aid diagnostic classification, most likely contributing to non‐diagnostic symptoms in a subgroup. Despite the characteristic heterogeneity of the autism spectrum, it remains a possibility therefore that a single cognitive cause may underlie the range of diagnostic symptoms in all individuals with autism. Autism Res 2016, 9: 1328–1339. © 2016 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

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“…This is because each tiny detail in a system might have a functional role leading to new information of the form 'if p, then q'. Excellent attention to detail in autism has been repeatedly demonstrated (Shah & Frith 1983, 1993Jolliffe & Baron-Cohen 2001;O'Riordan et al 2001;Mottron et al 2003).…”

Section: Systemizing and Weak Central Coherencementioning

confidence: 99%

Talent in autism: hyper-systemizing, hyper-attention to detail and sensory hypersensitivity

Baron‐Cohen

Ashwin²,

Ashwin³

et al. 2009

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

Self Cite

507

400

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We argue that hyper-systemizing predisposes individuals to show talent, and review evidence that hypersystemizing is part of the cognitive style of people with autism spectrum conditions (ASC). We then clarify the hyper-systemizing theory, contrasting it to the weak central coherence (WCC) and executive dysfunction (ED) theories. The ED theory has difficulty explaining the existence of talent in ASC. While both hyper-systemizing and WCC theories postulate excellent attention to detail, by itself excellent attention to detail will not produce talent. By contrast, the hyper-systemizing theory argues that the excellent attention to detail is directed towards detecting 'if p, then q' rules (or [input-operation-output] reasoning). Such law-based pattern recognition systems can produce talent in systemizable domains. Finally, we argue that the excellent attention to detail in ASC is itself a consequence of sensory hypersensitivity. We review an experiment from our laboratory demonstrating sensory hypersensitivity detection thresholds in vision. We conclude that the origins of the association between autism and talent begin at the sensory level, include excellent attention to detail and end with hyper-systemizing.

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A test of central coherence theory: Can adults with high-functioning autism or Asperger syndrome integrate fragments of an object?

Abstract: Individuals with an autistic disorder are less able to integrate visual elements. Of the two clinical groups, the autism group had the greater deficit, and it applied to the majority of the group. Possible explanations for the clinical groups' weak central coherence are explored.

Cited by 58 publications

References 38 publications

Multiple cognitive capabilities/deficits in children with an autism spectrum disorder: “Weak” central coherence and its relationship to theory of mind and executive control

Multiple cognitive capabilities/deficits in children with an autism spectrum disorder: “Weak” central coherence and its relationship to theory of mind and executive control

Exploring ‘The autisms’ at a cognitive level

Talent in autism: hyper-systemizing, hyper-attention to detail and sensory hypersensitivity

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