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Contagious itching is heightened in children with autism spectrum disorders
Author(s) -
Helt Molly S.,
Marchena Ashley B.,
Schineller Molly E.,
Kirk Anna I.,
Scheub Rachel J.,
Sorensen Taylor M.
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
developmental science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.801
H-Index - 127
eISSN - 1467-7687
pISSN - 1363-755X
DOI - 10.1111/desc.13024
Subject(s) - psychology , laughter , empathy , autism , itching , autism spectrum disorder , developmental psychology , typically developing , psychiatry , dermatology , social psychology , medicine
The authors tested susceptibility to contagious itching, laughter, and yawning in 55 children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), ages 8–14, and 106 typically developing (TD) children, ages 5–14. Children with ASD were less likely to yawn or laugh contagiously compared with TD peers, but showed increased susceptibility to contagious itching, under naturalistic conditions. Contagious yawning and laughter were positively correlated with emotional empathy in the TD group. In contrast, contagious itching showed no relationship to empathy, and was positively correlated with autism symptom severity in the ASD group. The authors explore the implications of these findings in terms of psychological theories about ASD.