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A Real-world What-Where-When Memory Test
Published on: May 16, 2017
Episodic memory and episodic future thinking in adults with autism
Sophie E Lind1, Dermot M Bowler
1Autism Research Group, Department of Psychology, City University London, London, UK. sophie.lind@durham.ac.uk
Journal of Abnormal Psychology
|September 22, 2010
Summary
Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) show impairments in both episodic memory and episodic future thinking. They recall fewer specific past and future events, often adopting a third-person perspective.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychology
- Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
Background:
- Episodic memory and episodic future thinking are interconnected cognitive abilities.
- Previous research indicates individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have deficits in episodic memory.
- Episodic future thinking has not been previously investigated in individuals with ASD.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate episodic future thinking in high-functioning adults with ASD.
- To compare episodic memory and future thinking abilities between adults with ASD and neurotypical adults.
- To examine the phenomenological qualities of remembering and imagining in ASD.
Main Methods:
- A comparative study involving high-functioning adults with ASD and matched neurotypical adults.
- Participants recalled past events and imagined future events.
- Self-reported phenomenal qualities (perspective, autonoetic awareness) and fluency tasks were assessed.
Main Results:
- Participants with ASD recalled/imagined significantly fewer specific events than controls.
- ASD group demonstrated impaired episodic memory and episodic future thinking.
- Individuals with ASD were less likely to adopt a first-person perspective for past events.
Conclusions:
- Episodic memory and episodic future thinking are impaired in high-functioning adults with ASD.
- Perspective-taking during memory retrieval differs between individuals with and without ASD.
- Findings suggest a potential link between episodic memory, future thinking, and self-perspective in ASD.
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