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Subjective experience and causes of affect in high-functioning children and adolescents with autism

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 October 2008

Susan Jaedicke ,
Sharon Storoschuk  and
Catherine Lord
Susan Jaedicke
Affiliation:
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Sharon Storoschuk
Affiliation:
The University of Chicago
Catherine Lord*
Affiliation:
The University of Chicago
*
Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Catherine Lord, The University of Chicago, 5841 South Maryland Avenue, MC3077, Chicago, IL 60637.
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Abstract

The ability to use language to identify causes for emotion and to describe the subjective experience of various emotions was examined in 28 male and female children and adolescents with autism compared to 28 normally developing and mentally handicapped subjects of equivalent chronological age and mean length of utterance. Mentally handicapped and lower functioning autistic subjects were also similar in verbal IQ. Individuals with autism did not grossly differ from other participants in their descriptions of emotion but were less likely to relate emotions to either reaching a goal or social interaction and more likely to attribute positive emotions to concrete events (e.g., going on a trip). Results are discussed in terms of current cognitive and affective theories of autism.

Information

Type
Articles
Information
Development and Psychopathology , Volume 6 , Issue 2 , Spring 1994 , pp. 273 - 284
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1994

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