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Updated: Jan 22, 2026

Assessment of Social Interaction Behaviors
Published on: February 25, 2011
Enter the Wild: Autistic Traits and Their Relationship to Mentalizing and Social Interaction in Everyday Life
Tobias Schuwerk1, Larissa J Kaltefleiter2, Jiew-Quay Au3
1Department of Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Leopoldstr. 13, 80802, Munich, Germany. Tobias.Schuwerk@psy.lmu.de.
Abstract:
Theories derived from lab-based research emphasize the importance of mentalizing for social interaction and propose a link between mentalizing, autistic traits, and social behavior. We tested these assumptions in everyday life. Via smartphone-based experience sampling and logging of smartphone usage behavior we quantified mentalizing and social interaction in our participants' natural environment. Mentalizing occurred less frequently than reasoning about actions and participants preferred to mentalize when alone. Autistic traits were negatively correlated with communication via smartphone. Yet, they were not associated with social media usage, a more indirect way of getting in touch with others. Our findings critically inform recent theories on social cognition, social behavior, and the role of autistic traits in these phenomena.
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