Asexuality : A possible background and how it relates to autism and neurodiversity
PsyArXiv, 2018
For typical people previous results have found that a few percent identify as asexual based on ha... more For typical people previous results have found that a few percent identify as asexual based on having no sexual attraction to anybody and this was confirmed for typical people in the study. For neurodiverse people, it was hypothesized that the primary reason for self-identifying as asexual was dislike or disgust for typical relationship preferences, and in particular for sexual penetration. This was confirmed with correlations and mediation analysis in the study. Neurodiverse females had the highest rates of identifying as asexual, with less than half of them answering “no” to a question about being asexual. Asexual self-identification didn't cluster with sexual orientation. Disgust for sexual intercourse and asexual self-identification as a teenager mediated problems with sexual intimacy later in life.
Gender identities that differ from biological sex (non-cisgender identities) appear to be more co... more Gender identities that differ from biological sex (non-cisgender identities) appear to be more common in autism and neurodiversity. The study found that part of the non-cisgender identities could be related to having behavioral preferences of the opposite sex, but this failed to explain the higher prevalence in neurodiversity. Non-cisgender identities in neurodiversity could better be explained by having neurodiverse relationship preferences or lacking typical relationship preferences. Being part of the LGBT (Lesbian Gay Bi Transgender) community biased answers to questions about gender identity. Neurodiverse non-cisgender people, just like neurodiverse asexual people, might be better off with new communities that focus on the more relevant relationship preference differences rather than on narrow and indirect gender and sexual issues.
Infatuation and attachment : How do they differ in autism and neurodiversity?
PsyArXiv, 2018
The study checked the Infatuation and Attachment Scale (IAS), relationship status and duration in... more The study checked the Infatuation and Attachment Scale (IAS), relationship status and duration in a mixed-neurotype population (neurodiverse and neurotypical). People in the neurodiverse population had higher infatuation scores, and people obsessions mediated higher attachment scores. The primary increase in attachment occurred at a distance in the neurodiverse population and with dating in the neurotypical. People diagnosed with autism in the study had considerably more relationship problems compared to both neurodiverse and neurotypical participants. They were less likely to be in love or a relationship and had shorter durations when they were.
Religious cognition among subjects with autism spectRum DisoRDeR (asD): Defective oR DiffeRent? l... more Religious cognition among subjects with autism spectRum DisoRDeR (asD): Defective oR DiffeRent? leif ekblad, lluis oviedo abstract Objective: to assess the empirical evidence regarding theories that link theory of mind and religious beliefs, and to test to what extent people in the autism spectrum disorder (asD) could experience limits in their religious perceptions and ideas. Method: Two studies have been undertaken: first, an online survey compared the answers of diagnosed autistic and neurodiverse people to neurotypical people; and second, the hypothetic 'existential theory of mind' is explored through another questionnaire in several school classes including boys on the autism spectrum. Results: after reducing variables, those factors more related to religious or spiritual perception did not reveal an inferior sensitivity in the neurodiverse or autistic sample compared to the control group. furthermore, a spiritual factor with items like belief in ghosts, the supernatural and the paranormal had higher prevalence in autism and neurodiversity Conclusions: The results call into question the theories linking autism to deficits in theory of mind with resultant religious impairment; and point to a greater role played by development and cultural environment.
The study researched how exhibitionism and stranger harassment relate to neurodiversity. It was f... more The study researched how exhibitionism and stranger harassment relate to neurodiversity. It was found that exhibitionism correlated with neurodiverse relationship preferences and that stranger harassment correlated with neurotypical relationship preferences. Exhibitionism typically involved a single male exposing to multiple females while stranger harassment typically involved a group of males sexually harassing a single female. Exhibitionism was typically a passive behaviour (no talking or approaching), while stranger harassment more often was an active dominance display involving sexual comments and approaching. Female disgust ratings for stranger harassment correlated positively with being neurodiverse while female disgust ratings for exhibitionism correlated negatively with being neurodiverse. Exhibitionists reported that they preferred females to show interest, and a minority of females found exhibitionism interesting.
People on the autism spectrum, and especially those diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome (a form of... more People on the autism spectrum, and especially those diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome (a form of high-functioning autism) have recently drawn considerable attention in the attempt to assess new theories about the cognitive structure of religious beliefs. It is often assumed that autistic subjects register some impairment in their 'theory of mind'; and that religious beliefs are the result of a projection of that faculty on supernatural agents. As a consequence, it is expected that autistic people would be less religious than average neurotypicals. Despite some empirical evidence provided to the date, doubts arise concerning this model. New data point ideed in a different direction. The present study explores aspects of religious cognition in persons diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome. To this end two studies have been undertaken: first, an online survey compared the answers of diagnosed autistic and neurodiverse people to neurotypical people; and second, the hypothetic 'existential theory of mind' is explored through another questionnaire in several school classes including boys on the autism spectrum. The results so far call into question the theories linking autism to deficits in theory of mind with resultant religious impairment; and point to a greater role played by development and cultural environment. The study of autism is revealing many aspects about the human mind and behavior that have been neglected when the focus was exclusively on typically developing people. Scholars in different fields now try to learn more from the particular way autistic people learn, think, and interact with other people. These differences become a rich source of information helping to better know human specificity and its very versatile dynamics, beyond what could be considered the broadly shared 'regularities'. Recently, psychologists learnt to test theories using autistic subjects as well as views about human cognition under special conditions, for instance when the impairment of a faculty or the over-development and intensity in some abilities furnish an excellent experimental field to assess the extent that these variables can play in mental functions. The cognitive science of religion has developed over the last 15 years a set of theories that some scholars consider already able to provide a 'standard model'. Religion would be built upon mental abilities used for different purposes from their original design; and these forms of cognition would often have adaptive relevance, especially enhancing internal group cooperation (Smith & Sankey, 2012). Such a description renders a rather synthetic view of that research field; however a more nuanced presentation should differentiate between adaptive theories and by-product theories. Indeed, the field is currently split on these two ways of understanding religious phenomena. A central tenet of this approach claims that Theory of Mind (ToM) involves a capacity to conceive supernatural agents as being able to cause phenomena beyond the common traits attributed to ordinary subjects (Barrett, 2004; Bering, 2002; 2003). The cognitive study of religion is much more than this. A clear development can be perceived after the first theories were launched two decades ago. A quick review of authors and published studies to date gives about 70 different proposals or attempts to
The aim of this study was to define neurodiversity in a scientific manner so it can be researched... more The aim of this study was to define neurodiversity in a scientific manner so it can be researched in further studies without involving disorders defined by psychiatry or popular beliefs about neurodiversity in the autistic community. Neurodiversity was defined as the primary factor output by factor analysis of a data set of human behaviors which contains evenly distributed traits of all sorts that cover all of human diversity. Neurotypical function was defined as the second factor. The study used many different traits and a large sample to find the full extent of neurodiversity, and to provide evenly distributed traits. The result was a test with 145 scoring items and 5 control items that could give participants a neurodiverse and a neurotypical score, and an indication that the participant was neurodiverse, neurotypical, or mixed. It was found that the neurodiversity score was independent of gender and age, and that the prevalence appears to have remained unchanged. There were possible differences in racial prevalence that need further research. The results correlated to many disorders defined by psychiatry, and also with several factors in personality tests. People who had been diagnosed with these disorders had considerably higher neurodiversity scores. The idea that neurodiversity was at the extreme end of a normal distribution was not supported, rather it was found that neurodiversity had its own normal distribution overlapping typical traits.
Asexuality : A possible background and how it relates to autism and neurodiversity
PsyArXiv, 2018
For typical people previous results have found that a few percent identify as asexual based on ha... more For typical people previous results have found that a few percent identify as asexual based on having no sexual attraction to anybody and this was confirmed for typical people in the study. For neurodiverse people, it was hypothesized that the primary reason for self-identifying as asexual was dislike or disgust for typical relationship preferences, and in particular for sexual penetration. This was confirmed with correlations and mediation analysis in the study. Neurodiverse females had the highest rates of identifying as asexual, with less than half of them answering “no” to a question about being asexual. Asexual self-identification didn't cluster with sexual orientation. Disgust for sexual intercourse and asexual self-identification as a teenager mediated problems with sexual intimacy later in life.
Gender identities that differ from biological sex (non-cisgender identities) appear to be more co... more Gender identities that differ from biological sex (non-cisgender identities) appear to be more common in autism and neurodiversity. The study found that part of the non-cisgender identities could be related to having behavioral preferences of the opposite sex, but this failed to explain the higher prevalence in neurodiversity. Non-cisgender identities in neurodiversity could better be explained by having neurodiverse relationship preferences or lacking typical relationship preferences. Being part of the LGBT (Lesbian Gay Bi Transgender) community biased answers to questions about gender identity. Neurodiverse non-cisgender people, just like neurodiverse asexual people, might be better off with new communities that focus on the more relevant relationship preference differences rather than on narrow and indirect gender and sexual issues.
Infatuation and attachment : How do they differ in autism and neurodiversity?
PsyArXiv, 2018
The study checked the Infatuation and Attachment Scale (IAS), relationship status and duration in... more The study checked the Infatuation and Attachment Scale (IAS), relationship status and duration in a mixed-neurotype population (neurodiverse and neurotypical). People in the neurodiverse population had higher infatuation scores, and people obsessions mediated higher attachment scores. The primary increase in attachment occurred at a distance in the neurodiverse population and with dating in the neurotypical. People diagnosed with autism in the study had considerably more relationship problems compared to both neurodiverse and neurotypical participants. They were less likely to be in love or a relationship and had shorter durations when they were.
Religious cognition among subjects with autism spectRum DisoRDeR (asD): Defective oR DiffeRent? l... more Religious cognition among subjects with autism spectRum DisoRDeR (asD): Defective oR DiffeRent? leif ekblad, lluis oviedo abstract Objective: to assess the empirical evidence regarding theories that link theory of mind and religious beliefs, and to test to what extent people in the autism spectrum disorder (asD) could experience limits in their religious perceptions and ideas. Method: Two studies have been undertaken: first, an online survey compared the answers of diagnosed autistic and neurodiverse people to neurotypical people; and second, the hypothetic 'existential theory of mind' is explored through another questionnaire in several school classes including boys on the autism spectrum. Results: after reducing variables, those factors more related to religious or spiritual perception did not reveal an inferior sensitivity in the neurodiverse or autistic sample compared to the control group. furthermore, a spiritual factor with items like belief in ghosts, the supernatural and the paranormal had higher prevalence in autism and neurodiversity Conclusions: The results call into question the theories linking autism to deficits in theory of mind with resultant religious impairment; and point to a greater role played by development and cultural environment.
The study researched how exhibitionism and stranger harassment relate to neurodiversity. It was f... more The study researched how exhibitionism and stranger harassment relate to neurodiversity. It was found that exhibitionism correlated with neurodiverse relationship preferences and that stranger harassment correlated with neurotypical relationship preferences. Exhibitionism typically involved a single male exposing to multiple females while stranger harassment typically involved a group of males sexually harassing a single female. Exhibitionism was typically a passive behaviour (no talking or approaching), while stranger harassment more often was an active dominance display involving sexual comments and approaching. Female disgust ratings for stranger harassment correlated positively with being neurodiverse while female disgust ratings for exhibitionism correlated negatively with being neurodiverse. Exhibitionists reported that they preferred females to show interest, and a minority of females found exhibitionism interesting.
People on the autism spectrum, and especially those diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome (a form of... more People on the autism spectrum, and especially those diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome (a form of high-functioning autism) have recently drawn considerable attention in the attempt to assess new theories about the cognitive structure of religious beliefs. It is often assumed that autistic subjects register some impairment in their 'theory of mind'; and that religious beliefs are the result of a projection of that faculty on supernatural agents. As a consequence, it is expected that autistic people would be less religious than average neurotypicals. Despite some empirical evidence provided to the date, doubts arise concerning this model. New data point ideed in a different direction. The present study explores aspects of religious cognition in persons diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome. To this end two studies have been undertaken: first, an online survey compared the answers of diagnosed autistic and neurodiverse people to neurotypical people; and second, the hypothetic 'existential theory of mind' is explored through another questionnaire in several school classes including boys on the autism spectrum. The results so far call into question the theories linking autism to deficits in theory of mind with resultant religious impairment; and point to a greater role played by development and cultural environment. The study of autism is revealing many aspects about the human mind and behavior that have been neglected when the focus was exclusively on typically developing people. Scholars in different fields now try to learn more from the particular way autistic people learn, think, and interact with other people. These differences become a rich source of information helping to better know human specificity and its very versatile dynamics, beyond what could be considered the broadly shared 'regularities'. Recently, psychologists learnt to test theories using autistic subjects as well as views about human cognition under special conditions, for instance when the impairment of a faculty or the over-development and intensity in some abilities furnish an excellent experimental field to assess the extent that these variables can play in mental functions. The cognitive science of religion has developed over the last 15 years a set of theories that some scholars consider already able to provide a 'standard model'. Religion would be built upon mental abilities used for different purposes from their original design; and these forms of cognition would often have adaptive relevance, especially enhancing internal group cooperation (Smith & Sankey, 2012). Such a description renders a rather synthetic view of that research field; however a more nuanced presentation should differentiate between adaptive theories and by-product theories. Indeed, the field is currently split on these two ways of understanding religious phenomena. A central tenet of this approach claims that Theory of Mind (ToM) involves a capacity to conceive supernatural agents as being able to cause phenomena beyond the common traits attributed to ordinary subjects (Barrett, 2004; Bering, 2002; 2003). The cognitive study of religion is much more than this. A clear development can be perceived after the first theories were launched two decades ago. A quick review of authors and published studies to date gives about 70 different proposals or attempts to
The aim of this study was to define neurodiversity in a scientific manner so it can be researched... more The aim of this study was to define neurodiversity in a scientific manner so it can be researched in further studies without involving disorders defined by psychiatry or popular beliefs about neurodiversity in the autistic community. Neurodiversity was defined as the primary factor output by factor analysis of a data set of human behaviors which contains evenly distributed traits of all sorts that cover all of human diversity. Neurotypical function was defined as the second factor. The study used many different traits and a large sample to find the full extent of neurodiversity, and to provide evenly distributed traits. The result was a test with 145 scoring items and 5 control items that could give participants a neurodiverse and a neurotypical score, and an indication that the participant was neurodiverse, neurotypical, or mixed. It was found that the neurodiversity score was independent of gender and age, and that the prevalence appears to have remained unchanged. There were possible differences in racial prevalence that need further research. The results correlated to many disorders defined by psychiatry, and also with several factors in personality tests. People who had been diagnosed with these disorders had considerably higher neurodiversity scores. The idea that neurodiversity was at the extreme end of a normal distribution was not supported, rather it was found that neurodiversity had its own normal distribution overlapping typical traits.
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