title: Emotion Perception or Social Cognitive Complexity: What Drives Face Processing Deficits in Autism Spectrum Disorder?
abstract: Some, but not all, relevant studies have revealed face processing deficits among those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In particular, deficits are revealed in face processing tasks that involve emotion perception. The current study examined whether either deficits in processing emotional expression or deficits in processing social cognitive complexity drive face processing deficits in ASD. We tested adults with and without ASD on a battery of face processing tasks that varied with respect to emotional expression processing and social cognitive complexity. Results revealed significant group differences on tasks involving emotional expression processing, but typical performance on a non-emotional but socially complex task. These results support an emotion processing rather than a social complexity explanation for face processing deficits in ASD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour, McMaster University, 1280 Main St. W., Hamilton, ON, L8S 4L8, Canada. walshj5@mcmaster.ca.
authors.forename: Jennifer A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Walsh
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour, McMaster University, 1280 Main St. W., Hamilton, ON, L8S 4L8, Canada.
authors.forename: Sarah E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Creighton
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour, McMaster University, 1280 Main St. W., Hamilton, ON, L8S 4L8, Canada. rutherm@mcmaster.ca.
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Rutherford
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000067877:Autism Spectrum Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D003071:Cognition; D000066499:Facial Recognition; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012938:Social Perception; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Autism spectrum disorder; Face processing; Facial expression perception; Trustworthiness perception