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Brief Report: Effect of Spatial Complexity on Visual Short-Term Memory and Self-Reported Autistic-Like Traits in Typically Developed Individuals

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Abstract

This report examines effects of the spatial complexity of configurations on visual short-term memory (VSTM) capacity for individuals from the general population differing on autism-spectrum quotient (AQ) scores. During each trial, nine-line segments with various orientations were arrayed in simple or complex configurations and presented in both memory and test displays. Typically, VSTM capacity decreases with increasing configuration complexity. We found that VSTM capacity for simple configurations was larger than for complex configurations in individuals reporting low AQ, whereas for individuals reporting high AQ, there were no significant differences between these configurations. These results suggest that the effects of spatial complexity on VSTM capacity could be observed in individuals reporting low AQ, but not in individuals reporting high AQ.

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Notes

  1. A score of 32 or higher indicates a clinically significant level of autistic traits (Baron-Cohen et al. 2001). A score of 26 or higher indicates a clinically significant level of Asperger’s traits (Woodbury-Smith et al. 2005).

  2. We used ESS 4 and ESS 8 as simple and complex configurations, respectively, in our present study. Although we used ESS 1, ESS 4, and ESS 8 as simple, medium, and complex configurations, respectively in the preliminary investigation (Takahashi and Gyoba 2012), we found no significant differences in VSTM capacity between ESS 1 and ESS 4 in either the High AQ or Low AQ groups.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by a Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Research Fellowship for Young Scientists to J.T. (Grant No. 22-8068) and by the Program for the Strategic Research Foundation at Private Universities (MEXT) to Kansei Fukushi Research Institute, Tohoku Fukushi University (2008–2012).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Graduate School of Arts and Letters, Tohoku University, 27-1, Kawauchi, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8576, Japan

    Junichi Takahashi, Jiro Gyoba & Nozomi Yamawaki

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  1. Junichi Takahashi
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  2. Jiro Gyoba
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  3. Nozomi Yamawaki
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Correspondence to Junichi Takahashi.

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Takahashi, J., Gyoba, J. & Yamawaki, N. Brief Report: Effect of Spatial Complexity on Visual Short-Term Memory and Self-Reported Autistic-Like Traits in Typically Developed Individuals. J Autism Dev Disord 43, 1725–1731 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-012-1711-9

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