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. 2015 Jul 22:6:1026.
doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01026. eCollection 2015.

Increased reward value of non-social stimuli in children and adolescents with autism

Karli K Watson  1 , Stephanie Miller  2 , Eleanor Hannah  2 , Megan Kovac  2 , Cara R Damiano  2 , Antoinette Sabatino-DiCrisco  3 , Lauren Turner-Brown  4 , Noah J Sasson  5 , Michael L Platt  6 , Gabriel S Dichter  7
Affiliations

Increased reward value of non-social stimuli in children and adolescents with autism

Karli K Watson et al. Front Psychol. .

Abstract

An econometric choice task was used to estimate the implicit reward value of social and non-social stimuli related to restricted interests in children and adolescents with (n = 12) and without (n = 22) autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Mixed effects logistic regression analyses revealed that groups differed in valuation of images related to restricted interests: control children were indifferent to cash payouts to view these images, but children with ASD were willing to receive less cash payout to view these images. Groups did not differ in valuation of social images or non-social images not related to restricted interests. Results highlight that motivational accounts of ASD should also consider the reward value of non-social stimuli related to restricted interests in ASD (Dichter and Adolphs, 2012).

Keywords: autism; behavioral economics; pay-per-view; restricted interests; reward; social.

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Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
During the monetary choice task, participants choose, via button press, between (1) a phase-scrambled image paired with a constant value reward (e.g., sound of coins for 500 ms) and (2) a social, HAI, or LAI image paired with a variable reward (sound of coins for 300, 500, or 700 ms). The duration of the coin sounds corresponded to the amount of money earned.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Percentage choice for images of each category (vs. scrambled images) for ASD and control participants. “Equivalent” denoted that choosing to see the image resulted in the sound of coins jingling for 500 ms, whereas “–200 ms” and “+200 ms” denote that choosing to see the image would results in the sound of coins jingling for 300 or 700 ms, respectively. Choosing to see the phase-scrambled image always resulted in the sound of coins jingling for 500 ms, and participants were compensated a base rate plus the amount earned during the task. Depicted are responses during the superblock presenting low autism interest (A), high autism interest (B), and social (C) images.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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