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Updated: Jun 6, 2026

Conscious and Non-conscious Representations of Emotional Faces in Asperger's Syndrome
Published on: July 31, 2016
Realistic drawing talent in typical adults is associated with the same kind of local processing bias found in
Jennifer E Drake1, Ellen Winner
1Department of Psychology, Boston College, McGuinn 300, 140 Commonwealth Ave, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA. drakejc@bc.edu
Abstract:
A local processing bias has been found in individuals with autism as well as in typical children with a gift for drawing realistically. This study investigated whether a local processing bias in typical adults is more strongly associated with drawing realism or autistic-like traits. Forty-two adults made an observational drawing (scored for realism), completed four measures that assessed a local processing bias, and completed the Autism-spectrum Quotient (AQ) which assesses autistic-like traits. Drawing Realism score and not AQ score was associated with a local processing bias as shown by performance on two of the tasks. Typical adults who score high in the ability to draw realistically show the same kind of local processing bias found in individuals with ASD.
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