Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/1893/35763
Appears in Collections:Psychology Journal Articles
Peer Review Status: Refereed
Title: Non-autistic observers both detect and demonstrate the double empathy problem when evaluating interactions between autistic and non-autistic adults
Author(s): Jones, Desiree R
Botha, Monique
Ackerman, Robert A
King, Kathryn
Sasson, Noah J
Contact Email: m.d.botha@stir.ac.uk
Keywords: double empathy
social cognition and social behavior
social interaction
Issue Date: 27-Dec-2023
Date Deposited: 21-Feb-2024
Citation: Jones DR, Botha M, Ackerman RA, King K & Sasson NJ (2023) Non-autistic observers both detect and demonstrate the double empathy problem when evaluating interactions between autistic and non-autistic adults. <i>Autism</i>. https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613231219743
Abstract: Consistent with a “double empathy” framework, autistic adults often experience better interaction with autistic compared with non-autistic partners. Here, we examined whether non-autistic observers detect differences in autistic interactions relative to non-autistic and mixed ones. Non-autistic adults (N = 102) rated the interaction quality and traits of 42 autistic and 44 non-autistic male participants interacting in same or mixed-neurotype dyads. Non-autistic interactions and participants were evaluated most positively, with participants rated more favorably when interacting with non-autistic partners and rated as less intelligent and awkward when interacting with autistic partners. Observers perceived mixed interactions as the least successful overall. Whereas non-autistic interactions were rated as smoother and more enjoyable than mixed interactions, they were not rated differently from autistic interactions on any measure of interaction quality. Observers also perceived that non-autistic participants but not autistic participants disclosed more to non-autistic partners. However, they evaluated autistic participants more negatively than their partners in the interaction evaluated them; they disproportionately underestimated trust and intelligence ratings made by autistic participants; and they and reported lower social interest in participants than did the autistic and non-autistic people in the interactions. Collectively, these findings indicate that non-autistic adults both detect and demonstrate the double empathy problem when observing social interactions involving autistic people.
DOI Link: 10.1177/13623613231219743
Rights: This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) which permits any use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed as specified on the SAGE and Open Access pages (https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access-at-sage).
Licence URL(s): http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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