Autism: Extreme Male Brain

Question 1

Description A01

Answer 1

Caused by excess exposure to testosterone in womb
Brain develops + becomes masculinised
Patterns seen in men-eg:
Less copy’s callosum
More lateralised
Systemisers (patterns, rules, organisation, low empathising)

Question 2

AO2

Answer 2

Difficulties understanding emotions
Socialisation problems
More common in males (3:1)
Stereotypical play (stacking+lining)
Love routine (stressed without)
Delayed speech
Savant blilities tend to be maths etc

Question 3

+AO3

Answer 3

Empirical + scientific (brain structure)

Useful/face validity (autism deficits)

Question 4

+ falter (2007)

Answer 4

28 children with ASD and 31 typical children
All had normal/higher IQ
ASD did better in mental rotation and figure disembedding tasks

Question 5

+ Wen & wen (2014)

Answer 5

Reviewed evidence for extreme Male Brain
Traits linked to ASD are also linked with anti-social personality (more males get this ratio 4:1 make eg lower empathy)
Brain difference between autism and neurotypical individuals (amygdala focus)

Question 6

• AO3

Answer 6

Could be impairment in TOM
Cause and effect issues
Not whole picture (other effects of testosterone eg aggression)

Question 7

• falter (2007)

Answer 7

No correlation found with performance on tasks + finger ratio
Did worse in targeting tasks (which should have been better)