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Conscious and Non-conscious Representations of Emotional Faces in Asperger's Syndrome
Published on: July 31, 2016
Emotion regulation in Asperger's syndrome and high-functioning autism
Andrea C Samson1, Oswald Huber, James J Gross
1Department of Psychology, Stanford University, CA 94305, USA. andrea.samson@stanford.edu
Emotion (Washington, D.C.)
|May 31, 2012
Summary
Individuals with Asperger's syndrome and high-functioning autism (AS/HFA) experience more negative emotions and struggle with identifying and regulating them. These emotion regulation difficulties persist even when accounting for emotion experience and labeling challenges.
Area of Science:
- Neurodevelopmental Disorders
- Psychology
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Individuals with Asperger's syndrome and high-functioning autism (AS/HFA) are often understood to have theory of mind deficits impacting social cognition.
- It is hypothesized that these theory of mind deficits may also contribute to challenges in emotion regulation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate emotion experience, labeling, and regulation in adults with AS/HFA compared to typically developing (TD) individuals.
- To explore the relationship between theory of mind, social cognition, and emotion regulation in AS/HFA.
Main Methods:
- A battery of measures assessing emotion experience, labeling, and regulation was administered to 27 AS/HFA adults and 27 age-, gender-, and education-matched TD participants.
- Statistical analyses were conducted to compare emotional functioning between the two groups, controlling for emotion experience and labeling.
Main Results:
- AS/HFA individuals reported higher negative emotion experience but similar positive emotion experience compared to TD individuals.
- AS/HFA participants exhibited significant difficulties in emotion labeling, with a high prevalence of alexithymia.
- AS/HFA individuals demonstrated less frequent use of reappraisal and lower reappraisal self-efficacy, while using suppression more frequently than TD individuals.
Conclusions:
- Deficits in emotion regulation, including reduced reappraisal and increased suppression, are evident in adults with AS/HFA.
- These emotion regulation challenges are distinct from, yet potentially linked to, difficulties in emotion experience and labeling.
- Findings suggest that addressing emotion regulation may be a crucial aspect of supporting individuals with AS/HFA.
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