The Development of Emotion Recognition in Individuals With Autism

Authors: Rump, Keiran M.¹; Giovannelli, Joyce L.²; Minshew, Nancy J.³; Strauss, Mark S.¹

Source: Child Development, Volume 80, Number 5, September/October 2009 , pp. 1434-1447(14)

Publisher: Blackwell Publishing

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Abstract:

Emotion recognition was investigated in typically developing individuals and individuals with autism. Experiment 1 tested children (5-7 years, n = 37) with brief video displays of facial expressions that varied in subtlety. Children with autism performed worse than the control children. In Experiment 2, 3 age groups (8-12 years, n = 49; 13-17 years, n = 49; and adults n = 45) were tested on the same stimuli. Whereas the performance of control individuals was best in the adult group, the performance of individuals with autism was similar in all age groups. Results are discussed with respect to underlying cognitive processes that may be affecting the development of emotion recognition in individuals with autism.

Document Type: Research article

DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-8624.2009.01343.x

Affiliations: 1: University of Pittsburgh 2: Children's Advantage, Ravenna 3: University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine