Dissecting empathy: high levels of psychopathic and autistic traits are characterized by difficulties in different social information processing domains

Lockwood, Patricia L.; Bird, Geoffrey; Bridge, Madeleine; Viding, Essi

doi:10.3389/fnhum.2013.00760

Cited by 155 publications

(132 citation statements)

References 41 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

106

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Moriguchi et al 2006;Wastell and Taylor 2002). Only one study to date has explored the differential relationship between emotional resonance and theory of mind with alexithymia and sub-clinical ASD traits (Lockwood et al 2013). In this study, high levels of alexithymia were related to poorer emotional resonance but not theory of mind.…”

Section: Alexithymia and Social Cognitionmentioning

confidence: 68%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Alexithymia in Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Its Relationship to Internalising Difficulties, Sensory Modulation and Social Cognition

Milosavljevic

Leno

Simonoff

et al. 2015

J Autism Dev Disord

127

120

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Alexithymia is a personality trait frequently found in adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and has been linked to impairments in emotion recognition and empathy. The presentation of alexithymia within ASD at younger ages remains unexplored, and was examined in the present study. Alexithymia rates were significantly elevated in ASD (55%; 31/56 scoring above cut-off) versus non-ASD adolescents (16%; 5/32 scoring above cut-off).Within individuals with ASD, alexithymia was associated with increased self-reported anxiety, parent-reported emotional difficulties, self-reported sensory processing atypicalities, and poorer emotion recognition, but was not associated with theory of mind ability. Overall, our results suggest that alexithymia is highly prevalent, and has selective cognitive correlates in young people with ASD.

show abstract

Section: Alexithymia and Social Cognitionmentioning

confidence: 68%

“…Results showed alexithymia was specifically related to reduced affective resonance but did not contribute to individual differences in theory of mind. Sub-clinical ASD traits, on the other hand, were related to poorer theory of mind but not to emotional resonance (Lockwood et al 2013). …”

Section: The Role Of Alexithymia In Social Processingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Alexithymia in Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Its Relationship to Internalising Difficulties, Sensory Modulation and Social Cognition

Milosavljevic

Leno

Simonoff

et al. 2015

J Autism Dev Disord

127

120

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Previous studies have consistently shown that empathy can modulate neural responses to viewing others' pain (29) and viewing desirable outcomes (rewards) that will be delivered to others (15,30). Moreover, although empathy can be broken down into separable components associated with different social behaviors and traits (23,31,32), studies have suggested that both cognitive and affective aspects of empathic processing may motivate prosocial behaviors (33). Despite this body of research, the mechanistic link between empathy and prosocial learning remains unknown.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Neurocomputational mechanisms of prosocial learning and links to empathy

Lockwood

Apps

Valton

et al. 2016

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

Self Cite

177

236

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Reinforcement learning theory powerfully characterizes how we learn to benefit ourselves. In this theory, prediction errors-the difference between a predicted and actual outcome of a choice-drive learning. However, we do not operate in a social vacuum. To behave prosocially we must learn the consequences of our actions for other people. Empathy, the ability to vicariously experience and understand the affect of others, is hypothesized to be a critical facilitator of prosocial behaviors, but the link between empathy and prosocial behavior is still unclear. During functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) participants chose between different stimuli that were probabilistically associated with rewards for themselves (self), another person (prosocial), or no one (control). Using computational modeling, we show that people can learn to obtain rewards for others but do so more slowly than when learning to obtain rewards for themselves. fMRI revealed that activity in a posterior portion of the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex/basal forebrain (sgACC) drives learning only when we are acting in a prosocial context and signals a prosocial prediction error conforming to classical principles of reinforcement learning theory. However, there is also substantial variability in the neural and behavioral efficiency of prosocial learning, which is predicted by trait empathy. More empathic people learn more quickly when benefitting others, and their sgACC response is the most selective for prosocial learning. We thus reveal a computational mechanism driving prosocial learning in humans. This framework could provide insights into atypical prosocial behavior in those with disorders of social cognition.reinforcement learning theory | prosocial behavior | empathy | reward | subgenual anterior cingulate cortex P rosocial behaviors, namely, social behaviors or actions intended to benefit others, are a fundamental but poorly understood aspect of social interaction (1). To behave prosocially, animals need to learn about the consequences that their actions can have for others. In reinforcement learning theory (RLT), prediction errors (PEs)-differences between expected and actual outcomesdrive learning (2). RLT provides a powerful framework for understanding how animals learn to obtain rewards for themselves (3). However, the processes by which animals learn to make choices that benefit others are unknown. Here we use RLT to characterize prosocial learning, combining functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and detailed computational modeling of behavior.Studies using economic games, moral judgments, or charity donation tasks have consistently reported activity in the ventral striatum, posterior regions of the subgenual cingulate cortex/basal forebrain (hereinafter referred to as sgACC), dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC), and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) during prosocial behavior (4-7). Each of these regions receives input from midbrain dopaminergic neurons (8), and these cortical regions all project to the ventral ...

show abstract

“…Fan et al, (2013) found typical sensori-motor resonance (a neural representation of anothers pain) when viewing others in pain, while Minio-Paluello et al (2009) later reported an absence of sensori-motor resonance. Affective and cognitive processing profiles have been examined in studies related to psychopathy and ASD (Jones et al, 2012;Schwenck et al, 2013;Lockwood et al, 2013). Those with conduct disorder and psychopathic traits showed less affective resonance with others' emotions but did not have problems with cognitive perspective-taking; while, children with ASD showed reduced cognitive perspective-taking but did not have problems with affective resonance.…”

Section: What Is Social Information Processing and How Is It Affectedmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Two processes that contribute to empathy are i) being aware of, and resonating with, the feelings of another individual such that awareness of their emotion drives the same state in oneself (affective resonance) and ii) identifying and understanding what another individual is thinking/feeling without a necessary affective response (cognitive perspective-taking) (Lockwood et al, 2013). The difficulties with cognitive perspective-taking in ASD are well established, while findings from studies assessing affective resonance processes in ASD are less consistent (Lockwood et al, 2013). Capps et al (1993) reported that affective resonance in ASD is enhanced compared to the general population.…”

Section: What Is Social Information Processing and How Is It Affectedmentioning

confidence: 99%

The clinical utility of social information processing theory in assessing and treating offenders with autism spectrum disorder

Chester¹,

Langdon

2016

AIA

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Purpose: Social deficits are central within conceptualisations of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and seperately linked to offending behaviour. Social problem solving interventions are often used with offenders, but little research has examined the social information processing (SIP) skills of individuals with ASD and a history of criminal offending behaviours.Design/methodology/approach: This conceptual paper will introduce the SIP model, review SIP research as applied to those with ASD and in forensic populations, and further consider the relevance to the assessment and treatment of offenders with ASD.Findings: Difficulties in all areas of the SIP model are noted in ASD and research suggests these difficulties may be directly linked to behaviour. Practical implications:It is possible that identifying SIP abilities and deficits could improve the effectiveness of rehabilitation programmes for this group. Originality/value: This paper reviews the utility of social information models in the offending behaviour of people with ASD. IntroductionPeople with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who engage in offending behaviour are a small but overrepresented group within the criminal justice system. Although a topic of interest in academic literature, there has been little theoretically driven research. WoodburySmith et al. (2005; highlighted that when considering vulnerability to offending in ASD, risk factors identified in the general criminological literature are relevant, e.g. low IQ, poor educational achievement, and hyperactivity-impulsivity-inattention; as well as ASD specific risk factors, such as poor social understanding, circumscribed interests, difficulties in adjusting to the diagnosis and social exclusion. Social problem solving interventions are considered effective for reducing offending behaviours (e.g. McMurran et al., 1999), and while social deficits are part of the conceptualisation of ASD, and independently linked to offending behaviour, social information processing (SIP) models have not been applied to those with both ASD and a history of criminal offending behaviours. This conceptual paper aims to introduce the SIP model, review SIP research involving both those with ASD, and those with offending behaviours. Furthermore, the utility of SIP models in explaining and treating some of the specific difficulties faced by those with ASD who have a history of criminal offending behaviours will be examined. What is Social Information Processing and how is it affected in Autism Spectrum Disorder?Social information processing (SIP) models aim to increase understanding of antisocial behaviour (van Nieuwenhuijzen et al., 2004;Stickle, Kirkpatrick & Brush, 2009) and have been described as one of the most fruitful areas of study for understanding the processes implicated in persistent aggression (Bowen, Roberts, Kocian, & Bartula, 2014; Stickle, Kirkpatrick & Brush, 2009). The most well-known SIP model is that of Crick and Dodge (1994;1996;Dodge, 1986;Dodge & Price, 1994). According to their model, several...

show abstract

Dissecting empathy: high levels of psychopathic and autistic traits are characterized by difficulties in different social information processing domains

Cited by 155 publications

References 41 publications

Alexithymia in Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Its Relationship to Internalising Difficulties, Sensory Modulation and Social Cognition

Alexithymia in Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Its Relationship to Internalising Difficulties, Sensory Modulation and Social Cognition

Neurocomputational mechanisms of prosocial learning and links to empathy

The clinical utility of social information processing theory in assessing and treating offenders with autism spectrum disorder

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About