Enhanced mental image mapping in autism
Enhanced mental image mapping in autism
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DOI：
10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2011.01.027
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发表时间：
2011-04
期刊：
影响因子：
2.6
通讯作者：
I. Soulières;I. Soulières;Thomas A. Zeffiro;M. Girard;L. Mottron
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
I. Soulières;I. Soulières;Thomas A. Zeffiro;M. Girard;L. Mottron
心理图像的形成和处理代表了成功解决视觉空间任务的关键能力，如韦氏区块设计或视觉推理问题，在这些任务中，自闭症患者的表现比他们的韦克斯勒智商预测的水平更高。视觉图像可以用来比较两个心理图像，从而可以判断它们的相对属性。为了研究自闭症的高级视觉过程，以及它们在解释自闭症视觉空间峰值中的可能作用，我们对23名自闭症患者和14名年龄和智商匹配的非自闭症青少年和成年人进行了两项心理表象实验。在自闭症患者中，11人的区块设计得分显著高于他们的智商预测。实验一包括想象一个圆圈内的一个字母，然后决定圆圈中两个突出显示的部分中哪一个包含更大比例的字母。实验二包括四种典型的心理旋转任务，分别使用二维和三维几何图形、手和字母。自闭症患者在心理意象的形成和比较方面比非自闭症患者更准确。有区块设计峰值的自闭症患者在心理旋转的速度和准确性方面都优于其他参与者。此外，与非自闭症参与者相比，表现智商和区块设计分数可以更好地预测自闭症患者的心理旋转准确性。自闭症患者形成、获取和操纵视觉心理表征的能力可能更强。我们提出了两种互补的机制来解释这些加工优势：(1)在增强知觉功能模型的框架内讨论的知觉加工的全局优势；(2)在真实映射方面的独特优势，即有效地检测实体之间的同构，然后使用这些映射来处理刺激特征，从而促进对它们的差异的判断。
The formation and manipulation of mental images represents a key ability for successfully solving visuospatial tasks like Wechsler's Block Design or visual reasoning problems, tasks where autistics perform at higher levels than predicted by their Wechsler IQ. Visual imagery can be used to compare two mental images, allowing judgment of their relative properties. To examine higher visual processes in autism, and their possible role in explaining autistic visuospatial peaks, we carried out two mental imagery experiments in 23 autistic and 14 age and IQ matched, non-autistic adolescents and adults. Among autistics, 11 had significantly higher Block Design scores than predicted by their IQ. Experiment 1 involved imagining a letter inside a circle, followed by a decision concerning which of two highlighted portions of the circle would contain the greater proportion of the letter. Experiment 2 involved four classic mental rotation tasks utilizing two- and three-dimensional geometric figures, hands and letters. Autistics were more accurate in the formation and comparison of mental images than non-autistics. Autistics with a Block Design peak outperformed other participants in both speed and accuracy of mental rotation. Also, Performance IQ and Block Design scores were better predictors of mental rotation accuracy in autistic compared to non-autistic participants. The ability to form, access and manipulate visual mental representations may be more developed in autistics. We propose two complementary mechanisms to explain these processing advantages: (1) a global advantage in perceptual processing, discussed in the framework of the enhanced perceptual functioning model, and (2) particular strengths in veridical mapping, the ability to efficiently detect isomorphisms among entities and then to use these mappings to process stimulus characteristics, thereby facilitating judgments about their differences.