The Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ): Evidence from Asperger syndrome/high-functioning autism, males and females, scientists and mathematicians
The Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ): Evidence from Asperger syndrome/high-functioning autism, males and females, scientists and mathematicians
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DOI：
10.1023/a:1005653411471
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发表时间：
2001-02-01
影响因子：
3.9
通讯作者：
Clubley, E
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Baron-Cohen, S;Wheelwright, S;Clubley, E
目前还没有简单的、自我管理的仪器来衡量智力正常的成年人具有与自闭症谱系相关的特征的程度。在这篇文章中，我们报告了一种新的评估工具：自闭症谱商(AQ)。个人得分在0-50之间。对四组受试者进行了评估：第一组：58名患有阿斯伯格综合征(AS)或高功能自闭症(HFA)的成年人；第二组：随机选择的174名对照组。第三组：剑桥大学的840名学生；第四组：16名英国数学奥林匹克竞赛的获胜者。AS/HFA患者的平均AQ得分为35.8(SD=6.5)，显著高于对照组(M=16.4，SD=6.3)。80%的AS/HFA成人得分为32+，而对照组为2%。在控制组中，男性得分略高于女性，但明显高于女性。没有女性得分非常高(AQ得分34+)，而4%的男性得分很高。在中等水平(AQ得分20+)得分的男性(40%)是女性(21%)的两倍。在AS/HFA组中，男性和女性的得分没有显著差异。剑桥大学的学生与随机选择的对照组没有什么不同，但科学家(包括数学家)的得分明显高于人文和社会科学学生，这证实了早先的一项研究，即自闭症与科学技能有关。在科学领域，数学家得分最高。这在第四组也是如此，数学奥林匹克获胜者的得分明显高于剑桥大学人文学科的男性学生。6%的学生样本在AQ上得了32+分。在访谈中，11人中有11人达到了AS/HFA的三项或三项以上DSM-IV标准，所有人都在学习科学/数学，11人中有7人达到了这些标准的门槛。AQ的重测信度和评分者间信度较好。因此，AQ是一个有价值的工具，可以快速量化任何给定的个体在从自闭症到正常的连续体中的位置。它在智力正常的成年人中筛查自闭症谱系疾病的潜力仍有待充分探索。
Currently there are no brief, self-administered instruments for measuring the degree to which an adult with normal intelligence has the traits associated with the autistic spectrum. In this paper, we report on a new instrument to assess this: the Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ). Individuals score in the range 0-50. Four groups of subjects were assessed: Group 1: 58 adults with Asperger syndrome (AS) or high-functioning autism (HFA); Group 2: 174 randomly selected controls. Group 3: 840 students in Cambridge University; and Group 4: 16 winners of the UK Mathematics Olympiad. The adults with AS/HFA had a mean AQ score of 35.8 (SD = 6.5), significantly higher than Group 2 controls (M = 16.4, SD = 6.3). 80% of the adults with AS/HFA scored 32+, versus 2% of controls. Among the controls, men scored slightly but significantly higher than women. No women scored extremely highly (AQ score 34+) whereas 4% of men did so. Twice as many men (40%) as women (21%) scored at intermediate levels (AQ score 20+). Among the AS/HFA group, male and female scores did not differ significantly. The students in Cambridge University did not differ from the randomly selected control group, but scientists (including mathematicians) scored significantly higher than both humanities and social sciences students, confirming an earlier study that autistic conditions are associated with scientific skills. Within the sciences, mathematicians scored highest. This was replicated in Group 4, the Mathematics Olympiad winners scoring significantly higher than the male Cambridge humanities students. 6% of the student sample scored 32+ on the AQ. On interview, 11 out of 11 of these met three or more DSM-IV criteria for AS/HFA, and all were studying sciences/mathematics, and 7 of the 11 met threshold on these criteria. Test-retest and interrater reliability of the AQ was good. The AQ is thus a valuable instrument for rapidly quantifying where any given individual is situated on the continuum from autism to normality. Its potential for screening for autism spectrum conditions in adults of normal intelligence remains to be fully explored.