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Social influence and the autism epidemic
Ka-Yuet Liu1, Marissa King, Peter S Bearman
1Columbia University, New York, New York 10027, USA.
AJS; American Journal of Sociology
|May 28, 2010
Summary
Autism diagnosis rates are rising due to social influence. Children near a diagnosed peer are more likely to receive an autism diagnosis, indicating information diffusion plays a key role.
Area of Science:
- Neurodevelopmental disorders
- Public health
- Sociology
Background:
- Autism incidence has rapidly increased over the past two decades.
- The underlying causes for this rise remain largely unknown.
- Previous research has explored various factors including genetics, environment, and diagnostics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the reasons behind the increasing incidence of autism.
- To identify potential social mechanisms influencing autism diagnosis rates.
- To quantify the contribution of identified mechanisms to autism prevalence changes.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of California autism diagnostic data.
- Spatial analysis to assess proximity to previously diagnosed children.
- Statistical modeling to test for social influence and rule out alternative explanations.
- Seven distinct tests were employed to eliminate competing hypotheses.
Main Results:
- Children residing in close proximity to a child previously diagnosed with autism showed a higher likelihood of receiving an autism diagnosis.
- Information diffusion was identified as a significant social influence mechanism.
- This mechanism accounted for 16% of the increase in autism prevalence between 2000 and 2005.
- Information diffusion also contributed to spatial clustering and a decreasing age of diagnosis.
Conclusions:
- Social influence, specifically information diffusion, is a contributing factor to the rising incidence of autism.
- This mechanism helps explain the observed spatial clustering and earlier diagnoses.
- Understanding social dynamics is crucial for addressing autism prevalence trends.
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