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Published on: July 31, 2017
Foundations for self-awareness: An exploration through autism.
Peter R Hobson1, Gayathri Chidambi, Anthony Lee
1University of London. r.hobson@ucl.ac.uk
Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development
|December 21, 2006
Summary
Children with autism show limitations in social-relational self-awareness, particularly in emotions like guilt and shame. However, they can identify some emotions and relate to others' moods, suggesting distinct aspects of self-awareness development.
Area of Science:
- Developmental psychopathology
- Social-emotional development
- Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
Background:
- Self-awareness development is crucial for social functioning.
- Understanding social emotions in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) offers insights into self-awareness.
- Previous research indicates challenges in social-emotional reciprocity in ASD.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate dissociable aspects of self-awareness in children and adolescents with and without autism.
- To explore how engagement with others influences self-awareness development.
- To examine social-emotional understanding and expression in autism.
Main Methods:
- Comparative study of matched groups of children and adolescents with and without autism.
- Parent interviews to assess social-relational and emotional domains of self-awareness.
- Videotaped scenarios and designed situations to elicit and observe emotional responses.
Main Results:
- Children with autism showed limitations in guilt, embarrassment, and shame, but recognized others' moods and felt pity or jealousy.
- Participants with autism identified pride, guilt, and shame from videos and described personal experiences of pride.
- Observed differences in the degree and quality of guilt and coyness expression in autism, with fewer personal self-conscious displays.
Conclusions:
- Self-awareness in autism may involve dissociations between person-centered relational qualities, diffuse self-consciousness, and emotions like jealousy.
- Identification with others' attitudes is essential for deep self-awareness and self-other relatedness.
- Revising emotion theory to emphasize interpersonal and intra-psychic relatedness is proposed for understanding child development.
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