Do autistic traits modulate the neural processing of logical rule violations in visual and auditory modalities?

Similarities in cognitive processing have been reported between individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and non-clinical individuals with autistic traits. However, previous research on autistic traits has primarily focused on social-emotional domains, with limited attention to abstract logical reasoning. Given that sensitivity to rules and patterns is a notable characteristic of the autism spectrum, logical rule processing may be particularly informative for understanding cognitive differences associated with autistic traits. The present research aimed to investigate the behavioral and neural responses of students with autistic traits to logical and illogical number sequences through two event-related potential studies. Based on Autism Spectrum Quotient-10 (AQ-10) scores, participants were categorized into High-AQ and Low-AQ groups. In Study 1, both groups judged whether visually presented logical and illogical three number sequences followed a logical incremental rule. In Study 2, both groups performed the same task as in Study 1, except number sequences were presented in the auditory modality. No significant group difference was found in response to logical number sequences in either study. However, relative to the Low-AQ group, the High-AQ group exhibited larger P2 and P3 amplitudes and more negative emotional reactions to illogical number sequences in the visual modality (Study 1), and more positive N1 and LPP amplitudes, and higher arousal ratings to illogical number sequences in the auditory modality (Study 2). These findings suggest that students with autistic traits may exhibit altered neural responses and heightened emotional reactivity specifically to stimuli that violate logical rules in separate visual and auditory studies.