ABSTRACT
Objective:To explore the changing characteristics of interpretive bias of senior high school students with different levels of autistic traits in ambiguous situations, and to investigate the consistency of interpretive bias across self/other relevant conditions.Methods:A survey of 1 080 senior high school students from a high school in Anhui province was conducted by using the autistic-spectrum quotient (AQ). According to the criteria of high scores and low scores of 27%, the subjects in the high autistic trait group ( n=266) and the low autistic trait group ( n=266) were selected.The ambiguous situation paradigm was used to measure the frequency of positive interpretation of ambiguous information by two groups of subjects under the conditions of self and others, SPSS 26.0 was used for descriptive statistics, and jamovi 2.2.3 was used for generalized linear mixed model analysis. Results:(1) The results of the between-group effects at the level of autistic traits indicated that the frequency of positive interpretations in the high autistic group was significantly lower than that in the low autistic group(54.5(11.8), 57(11.8) )( χ2=13.99, P<0.001). The results of the interaction between level of autistic traits and type of ambiguous situation indicated that in the positive ambiguous situation, the frequency of positive interpretations in the high autistic group was smaller than that in the low autistic group (33(4), 34(3)) ( P<0.001). There was no significant differences in the number of positive interpretations between high autistic group and low autistic group in negtive ambiguous situation( P>0.05). (2) The results of the main effects of the ambiguous situation types indicated that the frequency of positive interpretations in positive ambiguous situations was significantly higher than that in negative ambiguous situations(33(4), 23(9.25)) ( χ2=1 348.50, P<0.001). The results of the interaction between level of autistic traits and type of ambiguous situation indicated that the frequency of positive interpretations in positive ambiguous situations (33(4), 34(3)) in both high and low autistic groups was larger than that in negative ambiguous situations (22(10), 24(9)) ( P<0.001). (3) The main effects results for the self/other related conditions suggested that the frequency of positive interpretations of familiarity with others (19(4)) was significantly higher than that of self-related conditions (19(5)) and strangers (19(5)) ( χ2=9.51, P<0.01), and there was no significant difference between self-related conditions and strangers( P>0.05). The results of the interaction between ambiguous situation type and self/other related conditions suggested that in the positive ambiguous situation, the frequency of positive interpretations of familiarity with other people's conditions was greater than that of self-related conditions( P<0.01), and in the negative ambiguous situations, there was no significant difference in the frequency of positive interpretations related to different self/others( P>0.05). Conclusions:(1) High school students with high and low autistic traits are more inclined to show positive interpretations in the ambiguous situations, and it higher under the condition of positive ambiguous situations and acquaintances.(2) Compared with those with low autistic traits, individuals with high autistic traits tend to give less positive interpretations to ambiguous situations, but this difference is mainly manifested in positive ambiguous situations.(3) In the negative ambiguous situation, there is no significant difference in number of positive interpretations produced by senior high school students with high and low autistic traits, and they are stable across self and other related conditions.
ABSTRACT
Objective:To explore the influence of sub-threshold autistic traits on social avoidance and distress of senior high school freshmen, as well as the mediating effect of perspective taking, and to investigate the intervention effect of perspective taking intervention project on improving the ability of perspective taking and reducing social avoidance and distress behavior of high sub-threshold autistic traits individuals.Methods:A total of 1 401 subjects were investigated with the autism-spectrum quotient (AQ), interpersonal reactivity index-C (IRI-C) and social avoidance and distress (SAD) from September 1st to September 30th, 2018. According to the screening criteria of 27% statistically, totally 378 subjects were selected according to the scores of autistic spectrum quotient scale from high to low as the high sub-threshold autistic traits group. The top 32 subjects with high scores of autistic spectrum quotient scale were selected and randomly divided into intervention group and control group with 16 subjects in each group. The modified viewpoint selection group counseling program was used to conduct intervention research on 16 subjects with high sub-threshold autistic traits. SPSS 26.0 was used for common method deviation test, descriptive analysis, correlation analysis and repeated measurement variance analysis, and SPSS 26.0 PROCESS plug-in was used for intermediary effect analysis.Results:(1) The scores of sub-threshold autistic traits, perspective taking, social avoidance and distress of freshmen in senior high school were (113.26±11.35), (12.34±3.95) and (10.84±6.42) respectively. (2) Sub-threshold autistic traits, perspective taking, social avoidance and distress were significantly correlated with each other( r=-0.11-0.52, all P<0.01). (3) Sub-threshold autistic traits had a significant direct effect on social avoidance and distress, with a direct effect value of 0.28, accounting for 96.55% of the total effect.The total indirect effect of perspective taking on social avoidance and distress was significant, with the total indirect effect value of 0.01, accounting for 3.45% of the total effect. (4) In the intervention group, the perspective taking score of the post-test (15.69±3.86) was significantly higher than that of the pre-test (10.56±4.18) ( P<0.01). In the control group, there was no significant difference in the scores of perspective taking before and after the test((10.63±3.69), (11.44±3.03)) ( P>0.05). (5) In the intervention group, the scores of social avoidance and distress in the post-test (6.38±5.01) were significantly lower than that in the pre-test (15.00±6.07) ( P<0.001). In the control group, the score of social avoidance and distress in the post-test (15.81±6.33) was lower than that in the pre-test (19.00 ±5.38) ( P<0.05), but the scores of social avoidance and distress in the intervention group decreased even more. Conclusion:Perspective taking plays an mediating role between sub-threshold autistic traits and social avoidance and distress. Group counseling based on perspective taking was helpful to improve the perspective taking ability of people with high sub-threshold autistic traits and reduce social avoidance and distress behaviors.