Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorders are characterized by difficulties in communicating and cooperating with other people. Impairment in Theory of Mind (ToM), the ability to infer what another person is thinking, may contribute to these social deficits. The present study assesses the relationship between autistic traits and decision-making in a socioeconomic game environment that measures ToM and cooperation. We quantified participant strategy during game play with computer agents that simulated aspects of ToM or fixed strategy agents with static behaviors or heuristics. Individuals with higher Autism Quotient (AQ) scores cooperated less than subjects with low AQ scores with the ToM agents. In contrast, subjects with higher AQ scores cooperated more with fixed strategy agents. Additionally, subjects with higher AQ scores spent more time than low AQ subjects signaling cooperative intent in games with fixed strategy agents while spending less time signaling cooperation with adaptive agents, indicating a preference toward systemizing behaviors in the face of uncertainty. We conclude that individuals with high levels of autistic traits are less likely to utilize ToM as a cognitive strategy, even when it is beneficial, to achieve a desired outcome.
Highlights
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are typically characterized by difficulties in communicating and forming relationships with other people[1]
Scores on the Autism Quotient (AQ) test across the subject population ranged from 9 to 36 points, with greater scores indicating higher affectedness by autistic traits. Subjects differed in their behavior and in their responses to different agents depending on their level of autistic traits as measured by AQ
By using sophisticated computer agents in a socioeconomic game, known as the Stag Hunt, we investigated the relationship between theory of mind and autistic traits
Summary
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are typically characterized by difficulties in communicating and forming relationships with other people[1]. Common assessments of ToM abilities include tasks in which individuals must read stories and infer mental states of the characters (e.g., the Faux-Pas test and the Strange Stories test[5, 7]). While these tasks are successful in revealing positive correlations between utilization of ToM and the extent of autistic affectedness, narrative-based approaches rely on verbal ability and are abstracted by fiction. The Stag Hunt is a socio-economic game in which cooperating and understanding the other player’s intent, both hallmarks of ToM, yields more beneficial outcomes. This adaptation, played through repeated trials with the same player, allows for more complex strategizing and a deeper understanding of how one’s own actions can affect the other player, and vice versa
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