Orientation in relation to self and other: The case of autism

Interaction Studies 5 (2):221-244 (2004)
  Copy   BIBTEX

Abstract

With the aim of studying foundations for self-other relations and understanding, we conducted an experimental investigation of a specific aspect of imitation in children with autism: the propensity to copy self-other orientation. We hypothesised that children with autism would show limitations inidentifying withthe stance of another person. We tested 16 children with autism and 16 non-autistic children with learning difficulties, matched on both chronological and verbal mental age, for their propensity to imitate the self- or other-orientated aspects of another person’s actions. All participants were attentive to the demonstrator and copied her actions, but the children with autism were significantly less likely to imitate those aspects of her actions that involved movement in relation to her own vis-à-vis the child’s body. There were a number of children with autism who copied the identical geometric orientation of objects acted-upon. These results suggest that children with autism have a diminished propensity to identify with other people, and point to the importance of this mechanism for shaping self-other relations and flexible thinking.

Links

PhilArchive



    Upload a copy of this work     Papers currently archived: 90,616

External links

Setup an account with your affiliations in order to access resources via your University's proxy server

Through your library

Similar books and articles

Orientation in relation to self and other: The case of autism.Jessica A. Meyer & R. Peter Hobson - 2004 - Interaction Studiesinteraction Studies Social Behaviour and Communication in Biological and Artificial Systems 5 (2):221-244.
Foundations for Self-Awareness: An Exploration Through Autism.Peter Hobson, Gayathri Chidambi, Anthony Lee & Jessica Meyer - 2006 - Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development.
Autism: Self and others.Peter R. Hobson & Jessica A. Hobson - 2013 - In Simon Baron-Cohen, Michael Lombardo & Helen Tager-Flusberg (eds.), Understanding Other Minds: Perspectives From Developmental Social Neuroscience. Oxford University Press. pp. 397.
The pathogenesis of autism: insights from congenital blindness.Hobson & Bishop - 2004 - In Uta Frith & Elisabeth Hill (eds.), Autism: Mind and Brain. Oxford University Press.
Reflections on 'autistic integrity'.Barbara Russell - 2010 - Bioethics 26 (3):164-170.
Should we welcome a cure for autism? A survey of the arguments.R. Eric Barnes & Helen McCabe - 2012 - Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy 15 (3):255-269.

Analytics

Added to PP
2014-03-12

Downloads
15 (#809,217)

6 months
3 (#445,838)

Historical graph of downloads
How can I increase my downloads?

References found in this work

No references found.

Add more references