Configural processing in autism and its relationship to face processing

Behrmann, Marlene; Avidan, Galia; Leonard, Grace Lee; Kimchi, Rutie; Luna, Beatriz; Humphreys, Kate; Minshew, Nancy

doi:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2005.04.002

Cited by 334Autism Spectrum Disorder ResearchFace Recognition and PerceptionVisual perception and processing mechanisms

Configural processing in autism and its relationship to face processing

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Behrmann, Marlene, Avidan, Galia, Leonard, Grace Lee, Kimchi, Rutie, Luna, Beatriz, Humphreys, Kate, Minshew, Nancy·2006·Neuropsychologia

DOI 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2005.04.002

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Abstract

Studies of the perceptual performance of individuals with autism have focused, to a large extent, on two domains of visual behavior, one associated with face processing and the other associated with global or holistic processing. Whether autistic individuals differ from neurotypical individuals in these domains is debatable and, moreover, the relationship between the behaviors in these two domains remains unclear. We first compared the face processing ability of 14 adult individuals with autism with that of neurotypical controls and showed that the autistic individuals were slowed in their speed of face discrimination. We then showed that the two groups differed in their ability to derive the global whole in two different tasks, one using hierarchical compound letters and the other using a microgenetic primed matching task with geometric shapes, with the autistic group showing a bias in favor of local information. A significant correlation was also observed between performance on the face task and the configural tasks. We then confirmed the prediction that the ability to derive the global whole is not only critical for faces but also for other objects as well, as the autistic individuals performed more slowly than the control group in discriminating between objects. Taken together, the results suggest that the bias for local processing seen in autistic individuals might have an adverse impact on their ability to process faces and objects.

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Deficits in gaze patterns and face recognition in ASD are well established.
“where deficits in both patterns of gaze and face recognition have been well established”
From Behavioral, Perceptual, and Neural Alterations in Sensory and Multisensory Function in Autism Spectrum Disorder (2015) · cites this paper as Behrmann et al., 2006
Children with ASD show weaknesses in processing objects.
“have indeed shown evidence for weaknesses in the processing of objects in children with ASD (Behrmann et al., 2006; Koldewyn et al., 2013)”
From Behavioral, Perceptual, and Neural Alterations in Sensory and Multisensory Function in Autism Spectrum Disorder (2015) · cites this paper as Behrmann et al., 2006

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Authors: Behrmann, M., Avidan, G., Leonard, G. L., Kimchi, R., Luna, B., Humphreys, K., & Minshew, N.
Affiliations: Carnegie Mellon University (US)
University of Haifa (IL)
University of Pittsburgh (US)
Corresponding author: Behrmann, Marlene
ORCID: Behrmann, Marlene
Avidan, Galia
Minshew, Nancy
Venue: Neuropsychologia
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Published: 2006-01
Volume: 44
Issue: 1
Pages: 110-129
ISSN: 0028-3932 (ISSN-L)
DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2005.04.002
OpenAlex: W2122204760
Cited by: 334
References: 124
Citations by year: 2026: 6 · 2025: 10 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 13 · 2021: 13 · 2020: 20 · 2019: 15 · 2018: 13 · 2017: 22 · 2016: 23 · 2015: 26 · 2014: 24 · 2013: 17 · 2012: 19
FWCI: 6.78
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: green
figshare.com
Licence: cc-by
www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
Locations: Neuropsychologia (publishedVersion)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
KiltHub Repository (submittedVersion)
Figshare (submittedVersion, cc-by)
KiltHub Repository
Funders: National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders
Topics: Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Face Recognition and Perception
Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Visual perception and processing mechanisms
Keywords: autism spectrum disorder, configural processing, face processing, face discrimination, global processing, local processing bias, holistic processing, object discrimination, visual perception
MeSH terms: Adult, Autistic Disorder, Discrimination, Psychological, Face, Female, Humans, Male, Mental Processes, Middle Aged, Neuropsychological Tests, Pattern Recognition, Visual, Photic Stimulation, Reaction Time, Time Factors, Case-Control Studies

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Configural processing in autism and its relationship to face processing

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