Do Implicit and Explicit Racial Biases Influence Autism Identification and Stigma? An Implicit Association Test...

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Neurodevelopmental Disorders
• Social Cognition

Background:

• Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and conduct disorder (CD) are distinct neurodevelopmental conditions.
• Stigma associated with both ASD and CD can impact diagnosis and social integration.
• Implicit and explicit biases may influence the perception and stigmatization of these conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between implicit and explicit biases and the identification and stigma of ASD and CD.
• To examine how racial biases intersect with the perception of ASD and CD in vignettes.

Main Methods:

• 493 college students completed Implicit Association Tests (IATs) for stigma and racial bias.
• Participants evaluated vignettes of children with ASD or CD, paired with Black or White child images.
• Explicit stigma and diagnostic accuracy were also assessed.

Main Results:

• Conduct disorder (CD) exhibited greater implicit and explicit stigma than autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
• Accurate ASD identification correlated with lower explicit stigma; CD identification increased stigma.
• Racial biases were observed: White participants linked White children with ASD and Black children with CD, with a reverse trend in Black participants.

Conclusions:

• Implicit and explicit biases are distinct constructs.
• Racial biases influence the perception of ASD and CD, associating in-group children with ASD and out-group children with CD.
• Training is recommended to reduce in-group favoritism and associated biases in ASD and CD perception.