Reduced Responsiveness to Social Provocation in Autism Spectrum Disorder

Deficits in emotion processing and social interaction are prominent symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). ASD has also been associated with aggressive tendencies towards self and others. The prevalence of aggressive behavior in this disorder, its etiology and its impact on social life are still unclear. This study investigated behavioral and physiological effects of social provocation in patients with ASD and healthy controls. We used a modified Taylor Aggression Paradigm in 24 high-functioning patients with ASD and 24 healthy controls. Participants were instructed to play against a fictitious human opponent. Money withdrawals toward the participant represented provocation and money deduction by the participant denoted aggressive behavior. Throughout the measurement, electrodermal activity (EDA) was recorded. Healthy controls showed higher aggressive responses to high provocation compared to low provocation, which demonstrated the effectiveness of the used procedure in eliciting aggression. Patients' responses were not influenced by the level of social provocation, although in both groups aggression was higher after lost compared to won trials. Physiologically, controls showed fewer but higher EDA amplitudes when responding aggressively, whereas patients displayed the opposite pattern of more but lower EDA amplitudes. The modified Taylor Aggression Paradigm successfully elicited aggression and revealed different behavioral and neurophysiological responses in patients and healthy controls. Patients' aggressive behavior as well as their physiological responses were less modulated by level of provocation compared to controls. Therapeutic attempts for patients might concentrate on improving empathic abilities and the understanding of social situations, including provocation and aggressive behavior.