Social communication in autism spectrum disorder not improved by Theory of Mind interventions

Marraffa, Catherine; Araba, Biola

doi:10.1111/jpc.13178

Cited by 13 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…Although two studies in the current review reported that autistic children can be taught to engage in gameplay and pro-social verbal deception, it is unclear whether this represented improved ability and understanding as opposed to displaying learned behaviours associated with deception. However, the finding that ToM and executive function training increased ability on a gameplay deception task is consistent with other research showing that autistic children and adolescents who receive ToM or executive function training demonstrate improved social outcomes (Kenworthy et al, 2014;Lecheler et al, 2021 but also see Marraffa & Araba, 2016).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

Deceptive behaviour in autism: A scoping review

Bagnall

Russell

Brosnan

et al. 2021

Autism

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The ability to deceive is a key milestone in social cognitive development for typically developing individuals. In this scoping review, we systematically searched the literature to summarise research on deceptive behaviour in autism and identify gaps in knowledge. Across the 28 studies identified, three main themes were synthesised, with seven subthemes: (1) Deception ability and prevalence (1a) gameplay deception; (1b) naturalistic deception; (2) Psychological correlates of deception (2a) verbal, intellectual and social ability; (2b) theory of mind (ToM) behaviours; (2c) executive function; and (3) Social learning (3a) training; (3b) social contexts. The findings challenge common stereotypes, showing that autistic individuals can and do engage in deception. However, many do so less frequently and less adeptly than typically developing individuals. Emerging evidence also suggests that autistic individuals (without co-occurring intellectual disability) may use compensatory strategies when engaging in deception, and that more skilled deceptive behaviour may arise later in life. Implications and directions for future research are discussed. Lay abstract The ability to deceive others is an important skill that usually develops in early childhood. In this review, we give an overview of studies that have examined deceptive behaviour in autistic children, adolescents and adults. We separated the study findings into three main categories and seven sub-categories: (1) Deception ability and prevalence (1a) gameplay deception; (1b) naturalistic deception; (2) Psychological processes in deception (2a) verbal, intellectual and social ability; (2b) ability to understand others’ thoughts and beliefs; (2c) cognitive ability; and (3) Social learning (3a) training; (3b) social contexts. Contrary to some stereotypes, we found that autistic people can and do deceive but often find this more difficult than non-autistic people. We also found that autistic people may use different psychological processes than non-autistic people when deceiving and may get better at deception in adulthood.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

Deceptive behaviour in autism: A scoping review

Bagnall

Russell

Brosnan

et al. 2021

Autism

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“…As ToM deficits have been shown to persist throughout development ( Schneider et al, 2013 ) and correspond heavily to ASD symptom severity ( Hoogenhout and Malcolm-Smith, 2017 ), it is an important mechanism for understanding ASD symptomology and trajectory. As research indicates that current ToM interventions demonstrate poor transfer into real life settings ( Marraffa and Araba, 2016 ), finding ways in which ToM may be intrinsically rewarding to those with ASD, such as through anthropomorphism, could be a vital tool for researchers and community stakeholders alike. The ability and affinity to anthropomorphize in those with ASD will be explored in relation to the above theories throughout the remainder of this review.…”

Section: Autism Spectrum Disordermentioning

confidence: 99%

Seeing More Than Human: Autism and Anthropomorphic Theory of Mind

Atherton

Cross

2018

Front. Psychol.

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Theory of mind (ToM) is defined as the process of taking another’s perspective. Anthropomorphism can be seen as the extension of ToM to non-human entities. This review examines the literature concerning ToM and anthropomorphism in relation to individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), specifically addressing the questions of how and why those on the spectrum both show an increased interest for anthropomorphism and may even show improved ToM abilities when judging the mental states of anthropomorphic characters. This review highlights that while individuals with ASD traditionally show deficits on a wide range of ToM tests, such as recognizing facial emotions, such ToM deficits may be ameliorated if the stimuli presented is cartoon or animal-like rather than in human form. Individuals with ASD show a greater interest in anthropomorphic characters and process the features of these characters using methods typically reserved for human stimuli. Personal accounts of individuals with ASD also suggest they may identify more closely with animals than other humans. It is shown how the social motivations hypothesized to underlie the anthropomorphizing of non-human targets may lead those on the spectrum to seek social connections and therefore gain ToM experience and expertise amongst unlikely sources.

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“…Objective, sensitive and targeted outcome measures may provide a more realistic picture of the effects of ToM interventions on specific ToM related domains of functioning in real life social interactions (Peterson et al 2016). The realistic picture may also be slightly more optimistic about the effects of ToM interventions, which are currently dismissed as not efficacious in reviews (Marraffa and Araba 2016).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Does Theory of Mind Training Enhance Empathy in Autism?

Holopainen

Veld

Hoddenbach

et al. 2018

J Autism Dev Disord

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Youth with ASD often show limited or atypical empathic responsiveness. The direct effects of social skills interventions on enhancing empathic responsiveness is unknown. Data from a randomized controlled trial were used to investigate whether a Theory of Mind training improves the empathic responsiveness, measured through structured observations. The current study included a large sample (n = 135) of 8-13-year-old children with ASD. When comparing the change scores of empathic responsiveness from baseline to post-test, the intervention group performed significantly better than the waitlist group. Thus, the current findings support the use of Theory of Mind training as intervention of ASD by showing its efficacy also in improving one's empathic responsiveness, in addition to previous knowledge regarding the improvements in empathic understanding.

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Social communication in autism spectrum disorder not improved by Theory of Mind interventions

Cited by 13 publications

References 7 publications

Deceptive behaviour in autism: A scoping review

Deceptive behaviour in autism: A scoping review

Seeing More Than Human: Autism and Anthropomorphic Theory of Mind

Does Theory of Mind Training Enhance Empathy in Autism?

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