title: The role of causal and intentional judgments in moral reasoning in individuals with high functioning autism.
abstract: In the present study, we investigated the ability to assign moral responsibility and punishment in adults with high functioning autism or Asperger Syndrome (HFA/AS), using non-verbal cartoons depicting an aggression, an accidental harm or a mere coincidence. Participants were asked to evaluate the agent's causal and intentional roles, his responsibility and the punishment he deserves for his action. Adults with HFA/AS did not differ in judgments of suffering and causality from adults with typical development. However, subtle difficulties with judgments of intentional action and moral judgments were observed in participants with HFA/AS. These results are discussed in the light of emerging studies that deal with integrity of moral reasoning in individuals with autism spectrum disorders.
authors: Laboratoire de Sciences Cognitives et de Psycholinguistique, Centre Nationale de Recherche Scientifique, Département d'Etudes Cognitives, Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris, France. marinebuon@gmail.com
authors: Marine
authors: M
authors: Buon
authors: Emmanuel
authors: E
authors: Dupoux
authors: Pierre
authors: P
authors: Jacob
authors: Pauline
authors: P
authors: Chaste
authors: Marion
authors: M
authors: Leboyer
authors: Tiziana
authors: T
authors: Zalla
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology*; D020817:Asperger Syndrome / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D033182:Intention; D008297:Male; D009014:Morals; D011678:Punishment; D035481:Retrospective Moral Judgment; D012919:Social Behavior; D056345:Theory of Mind