Hopkins2021_Article_AutisticChildrenSLanguageImita.pdf (982.4 kB)
Autistic children's language imitation shows reduced sensitivity to ostracism
journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-10, 00:13 authored by Zoë L Hopkins, Nicola YuillNicola Yuill, Holly P BraniganIn dialogue, speakers tend to imitate, or align with, a partner’s language choices. Higher levels of alignment facilitate communication and can be elicited by affiliation goals. Since autistic children have interaction and communication impairments, we investigated whether a failure to display affiliative language imitation contributes to their conversational difficulties. We measured autistic children’s lexical alignment with a partner, following an ostracism manipulation which induces affiliative motivation in typical adults and children. While autistic children demonstrated lexical alignment, we observed no affiliative influence on ostracised children’s tendency to align, relative to controls. Our results suggest that increased language imitation—a potentially valuable form of social adaptation—is unavailable to autistic children, which may reflect their impaired affective understanding.
Funding
Conversational alignment in children with Autistic Spectrum Condition and typically developing child; G2104; ESRC-ECONOMIC & SOCIAL RESEARCH COUNCIL; ES/N013115/1
History
Publication status
- Published
File Version
- Published version
Journal
Journal of Autism and Developmental DisordersISSN
0162-3257Publisher
SpringerExternal DOI
Event location
United StatesDepartment affiliated with
- Psychology Publications
Full text available
- Yes
Peer reviewed?
- Yes
Legacy Posted Date
2021-06-25First Open Access (FOA) Date
2021-06-25First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date
2021-06-25Usage metrics
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