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Relationships between Affect Recognition, Empathy, Alexithymia, and Co-Occurring Conditions in Autism
Nandita Raman1,2, Sofronia M Ringold1,2, Aditya Jayashankar1,2
1Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA.
Brain Sciences
|August 26, 2023
Summary
Alexithymia, not autism, primarily explains differences in personal distress and perspective-taking in children. However, autism and alexithymia both impact affect recognition abilities in autistic individuals.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
Background:
- Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is associated with distinct differences in empathy and affect recognition compared to typically developing (TD) individuals.
- Autistic individuals often experience co-occurring conditions such as behavioral, gastrointestinal, and sleep issues.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare empathy and affect recognition between ASD and TD children.
- To investigate the association of these differences with co-occurring conditions in ASD.
- To determine the mediating roles of alexithymia and autism diagnosis in these disparities.
Main Methods:
- Included 56 children with ASD and 54 TD children aged 8-17 years.
- Utilized hierarchical linear regressions to analyze group differences and mediation effects.
- Assessed empathy (perspective taking, personal distress) and affect recognition.
Main Results:
- ASD group showed lower affect recognition and perspective taking, and higher personal distress than the TD group.
- Differences in personal distress and perspective taking were mainly linked to lower alexithymia levels, not the autism diagnosis itself.
- Affect recognition differences were mediated by both autism diagnosis and alexithymia.
- Empathy and affect recognition correlated with common co-occurring conditions in ASD.
Conclusions:
- Alexithymia significantly contributes to empathy difficulties in ASD.
- Both alexithymia and autism are linked to affect recognition abilities in autistic individuals.
- The interplay between affect recognition, empathy, and co-occurring conditions in ASD requires consideration for assessment and intervention.
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