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The Relationship Between Systemising and Mental Rotation and the Implications for the Extreme Male Brain Theory of Autism

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Abstract

Within the Extreme Male Brain theory, Autism Spectrum Disorder is characterised as a deficit in empathising in conjunction with preserved or enhanced systemising. A male advantage in systemising is argued to underpin the traditional male advantage in mental rotation tasks. Mental rotation tasks can be separated into rotational and non-rotational components, and circulating testosterone has been found to consistently relate to the latter component. Systemising was found to correlate with mental rotation, specifically the non-rotational component(s) of the mental rotation task but not the rotational component of the task. Systemising also correlated with a proxy for circulating testosterone but not a proxy for prenatal testosterone. A sex difference was identified in systemising and the non-rotational aspect of the mental rotation task.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK

    Mark Brosnan & Rajiv Daggar

  2. Department of Computer Science, University of Bath, Bath, UK

    John Collomosse

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  1. Mark Brosnan
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  2. Rajiv Daggar
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  3. John Collomosse
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Correspondence to Mark Brosnan.

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Brosnan, M., Daggar, R. & Collomosse, J. The Relationship Between Systemising and Mental Rotation and the Implications for the Extreme Male Brain Theory of Autism. J Autism Dev Disord 40, 1–7 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-009-0815-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-009-0815-3

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