Brief report: driving hazard perception in autism.
This study investigated whether individuals with ASD (autistic spectrum disorders) are able to identify driving hazards, given their difficulties processing social information, Klin et al. (Archives of General Psychiatry 59: 809-816, 2002). Twenty-three adult males with ASD and 21 comparison participants viewed 10 video clips containing driving hazards. In half of the clips the source of the hazard was a visible person (social); in the other half the source was a car (non-social). Participants with ASD identified fewer social hazards than the comparison participants (U = 163.00, N = 44, p < .05) but not non-social. Participants with ASD were also slower to respond than comparison participants, F(1,40) = 4.93, p < .05. This suggests that, although people with ASD can perceive driving hazards they may have specific difficulty identifying them if they involve a person.
Sheppard
Elizabeth
E
School of Psychology, University of Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, UK. elizabeth.sheppard@nottingham.edu.my
Ropar
Danielle
D
Underwood
Geoffrey
G
van Loon
Editha
E
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D001334:Automobile Driving / Q000523:psychology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D011930:Reaction Time; D012938:Social Perception; D014796:Visual Perception; D055815:Young Adult