Object personification in autism: This paper will be very sad if you don’t read it

White, Rebekah C.; Remington, Anna

doi:10.1177/1362361318793408

Cited by 30 publications

(56 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…The findings build on results from a recent study that found a high proportion of autistic individuals anthropomorphize inanimate objects. 2 Those who spoke to us had mixed views regarding whether the phenomenon was positive, neutral, or negative. Participants in both groups explained that they not only derived comfort from their personal relationship with nonhuman agents but also worried about their well-being-which for some, could lead to great distress.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A survey of 87 autistic and 263 nonautistic adults in the United Kingdom revealed that anthropomorphism was reported more commonly among autistic individuals, and perhaps more often (and continuing later in life) than in the general population. 2 Furthermore, various descriptions from autistic individuals on internet blogs and forums, as well as some autobiographical accounts, seem to elaborately describe the perceived mental states of nonhuman agents and include detailed expressions of empathy toward the agents. [3][4][5][6] (Note: since anthropomorphism leads to perceiving nonhuman entities as having agency, anthropomorphized entities are referred to as ''agents'' within the literature.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A Friendly Article: The Qualitative Investigation of Anthropomorphism in Autistic and Nonautistic Adults

Negri¹,

White

Remington³

2019

Autism in Adulthood

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Background: Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human characteristics to nonhuman agents. This common tendency is thought to be driven by a heightened motivation for social connection and may therefore be expected to be reduced in autistic individuals given that this group has been claimed to demonstrate reduced social motivation in some settings. However, the subject of anthropomorphism in autism has not been studied extensively, and online forums, autobiographical accounts, and recent research on the topic suggest that, contrary to this expectation, anthropomorphism is commonly experienced by autistic individuals. Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews with eight autistic and eight nonautistic adults, all who reported a tendency to anthropomorphize. We recorded, transcribed, and analyzed the interviews according to the thematic analysis framework with the objective of identifying similarities and differences in the lived experiences of anthropomorphism in autistic and nonautistic individuals. Results: Individuals in both groups described anthropomorphism as comforting, promoting a sense of safety and friendship with, and feelings of empathy and sympathy toward, nonhuman agents. Autistic individuals stressed the important role anthropomorphized agents played in their life, particularly when growing up: easing loneliness and helping develop an understanding of emotions and relationships. Participants also expressed negative aspects of the phenomenon, with both autistic and nonautistic individuals worrying about anthropomorphized agents' feelings and well-being. For some individuals, such thoughts and feelings caused distress and were experienced as intrusive due to their involuntary nature. Conclusions: Autistic and nonautistic adults showed very similar anthropomorphic patterns. Although preliminary in nature, our findings highlight characteristics of anthropomorphic experiences for autistic and nonautistic individuals, furthering our understanding of individual differences in social cognition. By illustrating the important role nonhuman agents may play in the lives of autistic individuals, our findings may also guide future research and practice.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Friendly Article: The Qualitative Investigation of Anthropomorphism in Autistic and Nonautistic Adults

Negri¹,

White

Remington³

2019

Autism in Adulthood

Self Cite

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“…Yet, there may be a critical difference between perceiving animated objects in mentalistic terms and explicitly ascribing them mental states. A recent study found that roughly half of adults with autism spontaneously personify objects ( White and Remington, 2018 ). This finding may call into question the logic of our argument that social cognition and anthropomorphism are related.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Tahiroglu (2012) found evidence in 4- to 6-year-olds of a relation between false belief understanding (false contents task) and anthropomorphism (using an interview-style measure), but this relation was not significant using other theory of mind measures and a narrative measure of anthropomorphism of animated shapes (akin to the procedure used by Castelli et al, 2000 ). Recent work suggests that adults with autism personify objects at higher rates than non-autistic adults ( White and Remington, 2018 ) – a result that is striking given the typical deficits in theory of mind among individuals with autism (see also Atherton and Cross, 2018 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Imagining Others’ Minds: The Positive Relation Between Children’s Role Play and Anthropomorphism

Severson

Woodard

2018

Front. Psychol.

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Children’s role playing, whether personifying toys or imagining invisible friends, involves imagining others’ minds and internal states. Similarly, anthropomorphism – the attribution of internal states to non-human others (e.g., animals, inanimate nature, or technologies) – also involves imagining others’ minds and internal states. We propose that the imaginative process of simulating and projecting internal states is common to both role play and anthropomorphism. The current study investigated the relation between children’s role play and anthropomorphism. Ninety children (5, 7, and 9 years) were administered Individual Differences in Anthropomorphism Questionnaire – Child Form (IDAQ-CF), comprised of the technology-inanimate nature and animal subscales, and the Role Play Scale, which assessed (a) impersonation of animals, people, and/or machines and (b) imaginary companions (ICs), including invisible friends and personified toys. Results indicated that the imaginative act of impersonating an animal, person, and/or machine was positively related to anthropomorphism, and specifically anthropomorphism of inanimate nature and technology. Second, anthropomorphism of animals was highest amongst children with invisible ICs, followed by those with toy ICs and those who impersonated. Finally, children who frequently engaged with an invisible ICs more readily anthropomorphized in general and technology and inanimate nature in particular relative to all other children. Results are discussed in terms of the differing degrees of imagination involved in anthropomorphism of animals versus technology and inanimate nature.

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“…Autistic perception has been described as providing a body-world experience that does not lend itself easily to the creation of social meanings (Manning 2016) and autistic people often depict their sensory experience of objects in powerful terms. The experience of objects is sometimes described as giving rise to a greater sense of connectedness than with human beings and to a feeling that objects are alive and communicable with (White & Remington 2019, Williams 1998. In autistic autobiographies, writers regularly describe themselves as children attending to the material features of their environment more than any social aspects, finding these to be less overwhelming, more meaningful and a source of greater satisfaction in terms of relatedness (Sainsbury 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Socio-Material Realities of Inclusive Pedagogy for Autistic Pupils in Mainstream Primary Schools in the UK

Conn

2019

Scandinavian Journal of Disability Research

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Socio-materialist theories of education highlight the importance of material practices alongside social practices within learning experience. Little is known about inclusive pedagogy for autistic pupils, but this theoretical approach is of relevance since autistic people describe meaningful connections to material things. The aim of this study was to explore the nature of inclusive pedagogy for autistic pupils through the development of two case studies. Research questions focused on tracing the socio-material realities of learning, with information gathered in the form of video recordings. Three realities of learning are described: thinking about maths, asking sensitive questions about the social world, and doing 'hard work' and making mistakes. The analysis shows that materialisation per se does not benefit autistic pupils, but can be used to support learning in certain circumstances, particularly where inherent social meanings are more easily made visible. The analysis shows that supportive relationships are also important sources of support.

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Object personification in autism: This paper will be very sad if you don’t read it

Cited by 30 publications

References 18 publications

A Friendly Article: The Qualitative Investigation of Anthropomorphism in Autistic and Nonautistic Adults

A Friendly Article: The Qualitative Investigation of Anthropomorphism in Autistic and Nonautistic Adults

Imagining Others’ Minds: The Positive Relation Between Children’s Role Play and Anthropomorphism

Socio-Material Realities of Inclusive Pedagogy for Autistic Pupils in Mainstream Primary Schools in the UK

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