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Are the Autism and Positive Schizotypy Spectra Diametrically Opposed in Local Versus Global Processing?

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders volume 40, pages 968–977 (2010)Cite this article

Abstract

Crespi and Badcock (2008) proposed that autism and psychosis represent two extremes on a cognitive spectrum with normality at its center. Their specific claim that autistic and positive schizophrenia traits contrastingly affect preference for local versus global processing was investigated by examining Embedded Figures Test performance in two groups of students separated on autistic-like traits but matched on positive schizotypy traits, and two groups separated on positive schizotypy traits but matched on autistic-like traits (n = 20 per group). Consistent with their theory, higher levels of autistic-like traits were associated with faster identification of hidden figures, whereas higher levels of positive schizotypy traits were associated with slower identification.

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Notes

  1. Although ANOVA is generally considered to be relatively robust to violations of homogeneity, especially when the sample sizes are equal (Ferguson and Takane 2005; Kao and Green 2008), since Levene’s Test of Equality of Error Variances was violated, the Mann–Whitney U Test was also conducted. This test indicated a significant difference in EFT performance between the High and Low AQ groups, U = 103.50, z = 2.61, p = .008, r = .413.

  2. As the assumption of homogeneity of variance was violated, the Mann–Whitney U Test was conducted. A significant difference in EFT performance between the High and Low O-LIFE:UE groups was again found, U = 98.00, z = 2.76, p = .005, r = .436.

  3. Since there was a difference in PIQ (although non-significant) between the O-LIFE:UE groups, PIQ was entered in an analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) to further rule out the possibility that participants with higher levels of positive schizotypy traits performed slower on the EFT due to a lower PIQ. The difference in EFT response times between the High and Low O-LIFE:UE groups remained significant with this control for PIQ, F(1, 38) = 6.03, p = .019, η 2p  = .140.

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Acknowledgments

This research was partly supported by NH & MRC Project Grant 403942 to M. T. Maybery, D. R. Badcock, J. C. Badcock and E. Pellicano.

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  1. Neurocognitive Development Unit, School of Psychology, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley 6009, Perth, WA, Australia

    Suzanna N. Russell-Smith, Murray T. Maybery & Donna M. Bayliss

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  1. Suzanna N. Russell-Smith
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Correspondence to Suzanna N. Russell-Smith.

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Russell-Smith, S.N., Maybery, M.T. & Bayliss, D.M. Are the Autism and Positive Schizotypy Spectra Diametrically Opposed in Local Versus Global Processing?. J Autism Dev Disord 40, 968–977 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-010-0945-7

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Keywords

  • Autism
  • Schizotypy
  • Local–global processing
  • Visual search
  • Embedded figures