Theory of mind and Autism

Question 1

What is Autism or Autism Spectrum DIsorder?

Answer 1

A life long neurodevelopmental condition

Question 2

How does Autism affect people’s lives?

Answer 2

They have difficulty with social reciporcity, communciation and repetiive or restrictive behaviour

Question 3

Why do babbies have an innate preference for social stimuli?

Answer 3

• Prefer to look at human face than non social objects, mianly if eyes are open (Batki et al, 2000)
• Enahcned ERPs in occiptial face processing areas for direct eye contact in comparison to averted gaze (Grossman et al, 2007)

Question 4

When was the earliest manifestation of Theory of Mind in “Joint Attention” by Butterowrh and Jarret (1991)

Answer 4

18 months

Question 5

What is joint attention?

Answer 5

Spontaneously following pointing gestures and eye gaze direction of others

Question 6

What challenges do children with autism face with joint attention?

Answer 6

They show atypical joint attention as toddlers

Question 7

What tasks do children with autism struggle with as they grow from 6 - 7

Answer 7

Unable to understand when someone is jooking or being ironic as to a child that is neurotypical

Question 8

What tasks do children with austim struggle with from age 9 - 10?

Answer 8

Unable to judge mental states by examining eyes of others compared to neurotypical children

Question 9

What is Cognitive Theory of Mind?

Answer 9

Ability to identify/recongise antoher person’s mental state

Question 10

What is Affective Theory of Mind?

Answer 10

Having an appropriate emotional reaction to other people’s thoughts and feelings

Question 11

Who suggested the congitive and affective Theory of Mind (ToM)?

Answer 11

Baron-Cohen (2009)

Question 12

Why is eye gaze so important in Theory of Mind?

Answer 12

• People look where they are attending
• Minding reading (looking where others are attending) is important
• Allows to predict others behaviour
• Share others mental state (Joint attention)

Question 13

What is STS involved in?

Answer 13

Integrating biological motion (e.g gaze direction) with mental states

Question 14

What does Superior Temporal Sulcus do?

Answer 14

• Interprests meaning of gaze stimuli to determine whether it is goal orintated

Question 15

What is the result of Superior Temporal Suclus (STS)in people with autism?

Answer 15

• STS is still activated by agaze cues and reproted by people but STS does not differntiate ebtween goal-oriented and non-goal oriented behaviour

Question 16

What is Menatlizing (shifting mental perspectives)?

Answer 16

• Self: How likely you to think to think
• Other- How likely are others to think

Question 17

What is physical (doesn’t involve shifting mental perspectives)?

Answer 17

Self - How likely you are to be or have something
- Others - How likely are others to be or have something

Question 18

What is cognitive empathy?

Answer 18

Understanding what others are feeling

Question 19

What is cognitive empathy?

Answer 19

Understanding what others are feeling

Question 20

What is emotional empathy?

Answer 20

Feeling what others are feeling

Question 21

What happens in the brains of BPD in cognitive and emotional empathy tasks?

Answer 21

Multifaceted empath test
- Cognitive empathy
- Affective empathy (how much are you feeling for the person)

Question 22

What was concluded in BDP in regards to cognitive empathy

Answer 22

Reduced STS activation - Cognitive impairment

Question 23

What was concluded in BDP in regards to emotional empathy

Answer 23

• Increased STS and insula activation
• Increased autonomic arousal