title: Self-referential memory in autism spectrum disorder and typical development: Exploring the ownership effect.
abstract: Owned objects occupy a privileged cognitive processing status and are viewed almost as extensions of the self. It has been demonstrated that items over which a sense of ownership is felt will be better remembered than other items (an example of the "self-reference effect"). As autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterised by an a typical self-concept, people with ASD may not demonstrate this "ownership effect". Two experiments were conducted which replicate and extend Cunningham, Turk, MacDonald, and Macrae (2008). In Experiment 1, neurotypical adults completed a card sorting task and cards belonging to the 'self' were better remembered than cards belonging to another person. In Experiment 2, adults with ASD recalled self- and other owned items equally well. These results shed light both on the relation between sense of self and the ownership effect, and the nature of the self-concept in ASD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Durham University, Science Site, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, United Kingdom. Electronic address: emma.grisdale@durham.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Emma
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Grisdale
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Durham University, Science Site, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, United Kingdom. Electronic address: sophie.lind.2@city.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Sophie E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Lind
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Durham University, Science Site, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, United Kingdom. Electronic address: m.j.eacott@durham.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Madeline J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Eacott
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Durham University, Science Site, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, United Kingdom. Electronic address: d.m.williams@kent.ac.uk.
authors.forename: David M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Williams
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002659:Child Development Disorders, Pervasive / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006803:Human Development / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D010067:Ownership; D021641:Recognition, Psychology / Q000502:physiology; D012649:Self Concept; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Autism spectrum disorder; Ownership; Recognition memory; Self-awareness; Self-reference effect