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Matthew Lira Northwestern University SESP Learning Sciences

Autonomic responses in autistic children to people and objects & Neural basis of social perception of a human versus a virtual human. Matthew Lira Northwestern University SESP Learning Sciences. Review. amygdala theory of autism faces v. cups autonomic regulation & stemming

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Matthew Lira Northwestern University SESP Learning Sciences

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  1. Autonomic responses in autistic children to people and objects&Neural basis of social perception of a human versus a virtual human Matthew Lira Northwestern University SESP Learning Sciences

  2. Review • amygdala theory of autism • faces v. cups • autonomic regulation & stemming • Two types: A & B • A = everything is significant • B = nothing is significant

  3. Review cont. • “We predicted that social interaction with a virtual human would result in increased neural response to both a real and virtual human during emotion attribution.” • “Our results suggest that while accurate social judgments can be made of either real humans or virtual humans, it appears the latter might require heightened cognitive processing, perhaps because of the novelty and unfamiliarity of virtual humans.” -Gayda et al (2008)

  4. Confusion! • fMRI • Global firing • When confronted with, say, a nonsense image, the brain lights up This image does not actually Demonstrate what the brain looks Like when viewing chaos

  5. The times, they are a-changin’ • Systemizing • Non-agentive • Lawful • Input  Operation  Output • Empathizing • Agentive • < lawful • Output is extremely context-dependent

  6. Hypersystemizing Theory v. Amygdala Theory • Which is more the more powerful theory? • Does the amygdala theory of autism explain: language delay, repetitive behaviors, mental retardation, tantrums at change, sensory integration impairment, difficulty generalizing, poor ToM, and so forth? To believe this, you would have to be …

  7. ToM & Face processing modules • Unlike ToM Module, the face processes neural tissue is agreed upon • Right Fusiform Gyrus • However, what about eye contact?!?! • No universal failure in ToM task = ASD not likely “lacking” ToM module • Up to 50% success • Others fail (deaf, specific language impairment) • Final note: importance of conspecifics and mirror neurons • Learning? • How do we process virtual peers really? 12 studies have implicated these areas as the potential ToM module.

  8. References • Baron-Cohen, S. (2007). The assortative mating theory of autism. In S.M. Platek, J.P. Keenan, & T.K. Shackelford (Eds.), Evolutionary Cognitive Neuroscience. Cambridge, MIT Press. • Gernsbacher, M.A., Frymiare, J.L. (2005). Does the Autistic Brain Lack Core Modules? DLD Journal, 3-17.

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