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. 2022 Feb 24;12(1):3125.
doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-07101-x.

Associations among autistic traits, cognitive and affective empathy, and personality traits in adults with autism spectrum disorder and no intellectual disability

Yukihiko Shirayama  1 , Kazuki Matsumoto  2 , Sayo Hamatani  2 , Katsumasa Muneoka  2 , Akihiro Okada  3 , Koichi Sato  2
Affiliations

Associations among autistic traits, cognitive and affective empathy, and personality traits in adults with autism spectrum disorder and no intellectual disability

Yukihiko Shirayama et al. Sci Rep. .

Abstract

Reported empathy deficits in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) could be attributable to other ASD-related features. We evaluated 28 ASD adults with no intellectual disability and 24 age-matched non-ASD control subjects using the Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ), Questionnaire of Cognitive and Affective Empathy (QCAE), Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI), and NEO Personality Inventory-Revised (NEO). Compared to the controls, ASD participants showed lower scores for perspective taking, online simulation, cognitive empathy, and peripheral responsivity on the QCAE, and lower scores for perspective taking and empathic concern on the IRI. Within the ASD group, the AQ scores showed significant relationships with perspective taking, online simulation and cognitive empathy on the QCAE, and perspective taking on the IRI. The ASD group also showed higher scores for neuroticism and lower scores for extraversion on the NEO compared to the controls. However, there were no relationships between AQ scores and NEO factors within the ASD group. Multiple regression analysis with stepwise linear regression demonstrated that perspective taking score on the QCAE and extraversion score on the NEO were good predictor variables to autistic traits on the AQ. These findings help us to understand empathy and personality traits in ASD adults with no intellectual disability.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The correlation plots for the association between autistic traits and empathy. (A,B) The correlations between autistic traits on the AQ and perspective taking on the QCAE in the control and ASD subjects. (C,D) The correlations between autistic traits on the AQ and online simulation on the QCAE in the control and ASD subjects. (E,F) The correlations between autistic traits on the AQ and cognitive empathy on the QCAE in the control and ASD subjects. (G,H) The correlations between autistic traits on the AQ and perspective taking on the IRI in the control and ASD subjects.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The correlation plots for the association between autistic traits and personality. (A,B) The correlations between autistic traits on the AQ and neuroticism on the NEO in the control and ASD subjects. (C,D) The correlations between autistic traits on the AQ and extraversion on the NEO in the control and ASD subjects. (E,F) The correlations between autistic traits on the AQ and conscientiousness on the NEO in the control and ASD subjects.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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