Color Afterimages in Autistic Adults.
It has been suggested that attenuated adaptation to visual stimuli in autism is the result of atypical perceptual priors (e.g., Pellicano and Burr in Trends Cogn Sci 16(10):504-510, 2012. doi: 10.1016/j.tics.2012.08.009 ). This study investigated adaptation to color in autistic adults, measuring both strength of afterimage and the influence of top-down knowledge. We found no difference in color afterimage strength between autistic and typical adults. Effects of top-down knowledge on afterimage intensity shown by Lupyan (Acta Psychol 161:117-130, 2015. doi: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2015.08.006 ) were not replicated for either group. This study finds intact color adaptation in autistic adults. This is in contrast to findings of attenuated adaptation to faces and numerosity in autistic children. Future research should investigate the possibility of developmental differences in adaptation and further examine top-down effects on adaptation.
The Sussex Colour Group, School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Pevensey II 5B7, Brighton, BN1 9QH, UK. J.Maule@sussex.ac.uk.
John
J
Maule
The Sussex Colour Group, School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Pevensey II 5B7, Brighton, BN1 9QH, UK.
Kirstie
K
Stanworth
Centre for Research in Autism and Education (CRAE), UCL Institute of Education, University College London, London, UK.
Elizabeth
E
Pellicano
The Sussex Colour Group, School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Pevensey II 5B7, Brighton, BN1 9QH, UK.
Anna
A
Franklin
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological / Q000502:physiology*; D000328:Adult; D000360:Afterimage / Q000502:physiology*; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D003118:Color Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D000066499:Facial Recognition / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019359:Knowledge; D008297:Male; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods
Adaptation; Afterimages; Autism; Color; Top-down knowledge