title: The impact of meaning and dimensionality on copying accuracy in individuals with autism.
abstract: Weak Central Coherence (Frith, 1989) predicts that, in autism, perceptual processing is relatively unaffected by conceptual analysis. Enhanced Perceptual Functioning (Mottron & Burack, 2001) predicts that the perceptual processing of those with autism is less influenced by conceptual analysis only when higher-level processing is detrimental to task performance. This research tested these theories using a copying task where one conceptual aspect enhances accuracy (meaningfulness) and another hinders it (three-dimensionality). Children and adolescents with and without autism copied meaningful and non-meaningful two-dimensional and three-dimensional line drawings. Drawing accuracy and strategy (global/local) were assessed. Participants with autism were less affected by dimensionality but not meaningfulness, apparently supporting EPF. Effects of dimensionality did not relate to drawing strategy, also contrary to WCC.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK. lpxes@psychology.nottingham.ac.uk
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sheppard
authors.forename: Danielle
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ropar
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mitchell
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001076:Aptitude; D001154:Art; D001288:Attention; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D003210:Concept Formation; D003867:Depth Perception; D004193:Discrimination Learning; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual; D011594:Psychometrics; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D011932:Reading; D012660:Semantics