Autistic traits in the neurotypical Chinese population: a Chinese version of Glasgow Sensory Questionnaire and a cross-cultural difference in attention-to-detail

The aim of this study was to assess cross-cultural differences in autistic traits relating to sensory sensitivity/attention-to-detail versus socio-communicative problems in a Chinese sample. A measure of atypical sensory sensitivity (Glasgow Sensory Questionnaire, GSQ) was translated into Chinese and compared against another measure of autistic traits (Chinese version of Autism Quotient, AQ). A second Chinese sample was administered English-language versions. We show that the translated GSQ has: good internal reliability; a similar profile of item responses to the English version; and a significant correlation with the AQ. Secondly we report an unexpected, but replicable, finding amongst the Chinese. Specifically, attention-to-detail was negatively correlated with socio-communicative difficulties (whereas in Western samples it is the reverse).