Nonverbal short-term serial order memory in autism spectrum disorder.

Dermot M Bowler,Sebastian B Gaigg,Jonathan S Martin,Marie Poirier

doi:10.1037/abn0000203

Dermot M Bowler, Sebastian B Gaigg + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.1037/abn0000203

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Abstract

To clarify the role of item and order memory in the serial recall of adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), we carried out 2 experiments in which adults with ASD and comparison participants matched on chronological age and verbal IQ saw sequences of 7 dots appear sequentially in a 3 × 4 grid. In Experiment 1 (serial recall), they had to recall the locations and the presentation order of the dots by tapping locations on an empty grid. In Experiment 2, (order reconstruction) the studied dots were provided at test and participants had to touch them in their order of appearance at study. Experiment 1 revealed diminished item and order recall in the ASD group; Experiment 2 revealed diminished order recall only when verbal IQ was controlled. The results support the view that people with ASD have particular difficulty with serial order recall but may use their language ability to achieve better serial recall performance.

Highlights

General Scientific Summary When asked to recall a sequence of dot locations in order, adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) make more errors in recalling the order of the locations than do matched typical individuals
The results revealed that the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) group recalled significantly fewer items in order than did the Comparison group, but that this was because the ASD group made significantly more order errors in recall; the group difference in number of items correct irrespective of order was not significant
Based on the hypothesis that there is a general order recall difficulty in ASD and considering data with verbal materials [i.e. Poirier et al.’s (2001) Exp 3], a significant difference between groups was expected in Experiment 2, where location memory was supported by providing the dot locations at test, but where the temporal order of the locations still had to be remembered

Summary

Introduction

General Scientific Summary When asked to recall a sequence of dot locations in order, adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) make more errors in recalling the order of the locations than do matched typical individuals. Studies of long term memory for verbal material in ASD bear out these conjectures by showing diminished relational and intact item-specific processing (Gaigg, Gardiner & Bowler, 2008; Maister et al, 2013) as well as diminished temporal reproduction (Falter, Noreika, Wearden et al, 2012; Maister & Plaisted-Grant, 2011; Martin, Poirier & Bowler, 2010) These considerations raise the question of whether the pattern reported by Poirier et al (2011) is limited to verbal material or is a more universal characteristic of autistic short-term memory. Based on the hypothesis that there is a general order recall difficulty in ASD and considering data with verbal materials [i.e. Poirier et al.’s (2001) Exp 3], a significant difference between groups was expected in Experiment 2, where location memory was supported by providing the dot locations at test, but where the temporal order of the locations still had to be remembered

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