Autism: cognitive deficit or cognitive style?

Happé, Francesca

doi:10.1016/s1364-6613(99)01318-2

Cited by 957Autism Spectrum Disorder ResearchChild and Animal Learning DevelopmentWilliams Syndrome Research

Autism: cognitive deficit or cognitive style?

Happé, Francesca·1999·Trends in Cognitive Sciences

DOI 10.1016/s1364-6613(99)01318-2

Open this paper in CoChat — free account

Abstract

Autism is a developmental disorder characterized by impaired social and communicative development, and restricted interests and activities. This article will argue that we can discover more about developmental disorders such as autism through demonstrations of task success than through examples of task failure. Even in exploring and explaining what people with autism find difficult, such as social interaction, demonstration of competence on contrasting tasks has been crucial to defining the nature of the specific deficit. Deficit accounts of autism cannot explain, however, the assets seen in this disorder; for example, savant skills in maths, music and drawing, and islets of ability in visuospatial tests and rote memory. An alternative account, reviewed here, suggests that autism is characterized by a cognitive style biased towards local rather than global information processing - termed 'weak central coherence'. Evidence that weak coherence might also characterize the relatives of people with autism, and form part of the extended phenotype of this largely genetic disorder, is discussed. This review concludes by considering some outstanding questions concerning the specific cognitive mechanism for coherence and the neural basis of individual differences in this aspect of information processing.

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1016/s1364-6613(99)01318-2

Cites

57 of 57 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Recomputing p-values needs the paper’s full text.

Claims the paper makes

This paper’s full text isn’t openly available, so its claims and self-check weren’t run. The registry and citation checks still apply.

Claims other papers make about this one

Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

This normal-to-superior performance contrasted with this class's poorer performance on nearly all other domains and matched prior studies.
“This normal-to-superior performance clearly stands out against the background of poorer performance of this class on almost all other domains measured, and is in line with previous studies.26,50”
From Are Autism Spectrum Disorder and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Different Manifestations of One Overarching Disorder? Cognitive and Symptom Evidence From a Clinical and Population-Based Sample (2012) · cites this paper as [50]
The weak central coherence theory is built on observations that individuals with autism spectrum disorder often focus on local details rather than the global picture.
“The theory of WCC is built on observations that individuals with ASD often focus on local details rather than the global picture (for a review see Happé, 1999).”
From Behavioral, Perceptual, and Neural Alterations in Sensory and Multisensory Function in Autism Spectrum Disorder (2015) · cites this paper as Happé, 1999

Untitled work
(1943) · The Nervous child · Cited by 8,870 · see citing works
REMEMBERING: A STUDY IN EXPERIMENTAL AND SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
Bartlett, F. C., & Burt, C. (1933) · British Journal of Educational Psychology · doi:10.1111/j.2044-8279.1933.tb02913.x · Cited by 7,475 · see citing works
Forest before trees: The precedence of global features in visual perception
Navon, D. (1977) · Cognitive Psychology · doi:10.1016/0010-0285(77)90012-3 · Cited by 4,005 · see citing works
Untitled work
(1989) · UCL Discovery (University College London) · Cited by 2,724 · see citing works
Remembering
Bartlett, F. C., & Kintsch, W. (1995) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/cbo9780511759185 · Cited by 2,408 · see citing works
Understanding other minds: perspectives from autism
(1994) · Choice Reviews Online · doi:10.5860/choice.31-3492 · Cited by 1,651 · see citing works
Autism: beyond “theory of mind”
Frith, U., & Happé, F. (1994) · Cognition · doi:10.1016/0010-0277(94)90024-8 · Cited by 1,450 · see citing works
Self-citation
A Manual for the embedded figures tests
Witkin, H. A. (1971) · Consulting Psychologists Press eBooks · Cited by 1,204 · see citing works
Why Do Autistic Individuals Show Superior Performance on the Block Design Task?
Shah, A., & Uta Frith, A. (1993) · Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry · doi:10.1111/j.1469-7610.1993.tb02095.x · Cited by 941 · see citing works
An islet of ability in autistic children: a research note
Shah, A., & Frith, U. (1983) · Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry · doi:10.1111/j.1469-7610.1983.tb00137.x · Cited by 888 · see citing works
Are People with Autism and Asperger Syndrome Faster Than Normal on the Embedded Figures Test?
Jolliffe, T., & Baron‐Cohen, S. (1997) · Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry · doi:10.1111/j.1469-7610.1997.tb01539.x · Cited by 744 · see citing works
Primacy of wholistic processing and global/local paradigm: A critical review.
Kimchi, R. (1992) · Psychological Bulletin · doi:10.1037/0033-2909.112.1.24 · Cited by 742 · see citing works
Eye and Brain
Ridley, H. (1973) · BMJ · doi:10.1136/bmj.4.5893.682-b · Cited by 538 · see citing works
Reading for meaning and reading for sound in autistic and dyslexic children
Frith, U., & Snowling, M. (1983) · British Journal of Developmental Psychology · doi:10.1111/j.2044-835x.1983.tb00906.x · Cited by 506 · see citing works
Executive Function Abilities in Autism and Tourette Syndrome: An Information Processing Approach
Ozonoff, S. J., Strayer, D. L., McMahon, W. M., & Filloux, F. M. (1994) · Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry · doi:10.1111/j.1469-7610.1994.tb01807.x · Cited by 491 · see citing works
Studying Weak Central Coherence at Low Levels: Children with Autism do not Succumb to Visual Illusions. A Research Note
Happe, F. G. E. (1996) · Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry · doi:10.1111/j.1469-7610.1996.tb01483.x · Cited by 491 · see citing works
Autism as an executive disorder
Russell, J. A. (1997) · Cited by 483 · see citing works
What's in a face? The case of autism
Hobson, R. P., Ouston, J., & Lee, A. L. (1988) · British Journal of Psychology · doi:10.1111/j.2044-8295.1988.tb02745.x · Cited by 452 · see citing works
Central coherence and theory of mind in autism: Reading homographs in context
Happe, F. G. E. (1997) · British Journal of Developmental Psychology · doi:10.1111/j.2044-835x.1997.tb00721.x · Cited by 434 · see citing works
An MRI study of brain size in autism
Piven, J., Arndt, S. V., Bailey, J. N., Havercamp, S. M., Andreasen, N. C., & Palmer, P. (1995) · American Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1176/ajp.152.8.1145 · Cited by 417 · see citing works
Neuropsychological contributions to theories of part/whole organization
Robertson, L. C., & Lamb, M. R. (1991) · Cognitive Psychology · doi:10.1016/0010-0285(91)90012-d · Cited by 417 · see citing works
Enhanced visual search for a conjunctive target in autism: a research note
Plaisted, K., O'Riordan, M., & Baron-Cohen, S. (1998) · Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry · doi:10.1017/s0021963098002613 · Cited by 405 · see citing works
Parents of Children with Asperger Syndrome: What is the Cognitive Phenotype?
Baron‐Cohen, S., & Hammer, J. (1997) · Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience · doi:10.1162/jocn.1997.9.4.548 · Cited by 365 · see citing works
Neural mechanisms involved in the processing of global and local aspects of hierarchically organized visual stimuli
Fink, G. R. (1997) · Brain · doi:10.1093/brain/120.10.1779 · Cited by 365 · see citing works
Children with Autism Show Local Precedence in a Divided Attention Task and Global Precedence in a Selective Attention Task
Plaisted, K. C., Swettenham, J., & Rees, L. (1999) · Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry · doi:10.1017/s0021963099004102 · Cited by 340 · see citing works
Absolute pitch.
Takeuchi, A. H., & Hulse, S. H. (1993) · Psychological Bulletin · doi:10.1037/0033-2909.113.2.345 · Cited by 285 · see citing works
A Study of Perceptual Analysis in a High-Level Autistic Subject with Exceptional Graphic Abilities
Mottron, L., & Belleville, S. (1993) · Brain and Cognition · doi:10.1006/brcg.1993.1060 · Cited by 267 · see citing works
Autism and Pitch Processing: A Precursor for Savant Musical Ability?
Heaton, P. F., Hermelin, B., & Pring, L. (1998) · Music Perception An Interdisciplinary Journal · doi:10.2307/40285769 · Cited by 264 · see citing works
Face recognition and lip-reading in autism
Gelder, B. D., Vroomen, J., & van der Heide, L. (1991) · European Journal of Cognitive Psychology · doi:10.1080/09541449108406220 · Cited by 235 · see citing works
Comprehension in “hyperlexic” readers
Snowling, M., & Frith, U. (1986) · Journal of Experimental Child Psychology · doi:10.1016/0022-0965(86)90033-0 · Cited by 229 · see citing works
Semantic processing in the free recall of autistic children: Further evidence for a cognitive deficit
Tager-Flusberg, H. B. (1991) · British Journal of Developmental Psychology · doi:10.1111/j.2044-835x.1991.tb00886.x · Cited by 214 · see citing works
Neural Mechanisms of Global and Local Processing: A Combined PET and ERP Study
Heinze, H. J., Hinrichs, H., Scholz, M., et al. (1998) · Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience · doi:10.1162/089892998562898 · Cited by 211 · see citing works
Local Bias in Autistic Subjects as Evidenced by Graphic Tasks: Perceptual Hierarchization or Working Memory Deficit?
Mottron, L., Belleville, S., & Ménard, É. (1999) · Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry · doi:10.1111/1469-7610.00490 · Cited by 203 · see citing works
Emotional expression in upside‐down faces: Evidence for configurational and componential processing
McKelvie, S. J. (1995) · British Journal of Social Psychology · doi:10.1111/j.2044-8309.1995.tb01067.x · Cited by 199 · see citing works
Is There a Link between Engineering and Autism?
Baron‐Cohen, S., Wheelwright, S. J., Stott, C., Bolton, P., & Goodyer, I. M. (1997) · Autism · doi:10.1177/1362361397011010 · Cited by 170 · see citing works
The idiot savant: a review of the syndrome
Treffert, D. A. (1988) · American Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1176/ajp.145.5.563 · Cited by 161 · see citing works
Size contrast as a function of conceptual similarity between test and inducers
Coren, S., & Enns, J. T. (1993) · Perception & Psychophysics · doi:10.3758/bf03211782 · Cited by 155 · see citing works
REMEMBERING OF WORDS BY PSYCHOTIC AND SUBNORMAL CHILDREN
Hermelin, B., & O’Connor, N. (1967) · British Journal of Psychology · doi:10.1111/j.2044-8295.1967.tb01075.x · Cited by 150 · see citing works
Postural effects of motion vision in young autistic children
Gepner, B., Mestre, D., Masson, G. S., & de Schonen, S. (1995) · Neuroreport · doi:10.1097/00001756-199505300-00034 · Cited by 144 · see citing works
An artificial neural network analogue of learning in autism
Cohen, I. L. (1994) · Biological Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/0006-3223(94)90057-4 · Cited by 121 · see citing works
Comprehension of concrete and abstract words in autistic children
Eskes, G. A., Bryson, S. E., & McCormick, T. A. (1990) · Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders · doi:10.1007/bf02206857 · Cited by 119 · see citing works
Visual memory processes in high-functioning individuals with autism
Ameli, R., Courchesne, E., Lincoln, A. J., Kaufman, A. S., & Grillon, C. (1988) · Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders · doi:10.1007/bf02211878 · Cited by 112 · see citing works
Disembedding Performance and Recognition Memory in Autism/PDD
Brian, J. A., & Bryson, S. E. (1996) · Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry · doi:10.1111/j.1469-7610.1996.tb01482.x · Cited by 106 · see citing works
Savants, Segments, Art and Autism
Pring, L., Hermelin, B., & Heavey, L. (1995) · Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry · doi:10.1111/j.1469-7610.1995.tb01351.x · Cited by 99 · see citing works
Right-Hemisphere Dysfunction in Asperger's Syndrome
McKelvey, J. R., Lambert, R., Mottron, L., & Shevell, M. I. (1995) · Journal of Child Neurology · doi:10.1177/088307389501000413 · Cited by 91 · see citing works
Impaired verbal reasoning and constructional apraxia in subjects with right hemisphere damage
Benowitz, L. I., Moya, K. L., & Levine, D. N. (1990) · Neuropsychologia · doi:10.1016/0028-3932(90)90017-i · Cited by 81 · see citing works
Counting Abilities in Autism: Possible Implications for Central Coherence Theory
Jarrold, C., & Russell, J. A. (1997) · Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders · doi:10.1023/a:1025817121137 · Cited by 78 · see citing works
Developmental sex differences in global-local perceptual bias.
Kramer, J. H., Ellenberg, L., Leonard, J., et al. (1996) · Neuropsychology · doi:10.1037/0894-4105.10.3.402 · Cited by 58 · see citing works
The neurocognitive basis of autism
Uta Frith, A. (1997) · Trends in Cognitive Sciences · doi:10.1016/s1364-6613(97)01010-3 · Cited by 44 · see citing works
Bottle, Tulip and Wineglass: Semantic and Structural Picture Processing by Savant Artists
Pring, L., & Hermelin, B. (1993) · Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry · doi:10.1111/j.1469-7610.1993.tb02096.x · Cited by 39 · see citing works
Repetitive behavior and repetition avoidance: the role of the right hemisphere.
Brugger, P., Monsch, A. U., & Johnson, S. A. (1996) · PubMed · Cited by 30 · see citing works
Long- and Short-Looking Infants' Recognition of Symmetrical and Asymmetrical Forms
Stoecker, J. J., Colombo, J. A., Frick, J. E., et al. (1998) · Journal of Experimental Child Psychology · doi:10.1006/jecp.1998.2460 · Cited by 28 · see citing works
Is There Really a Link Between Engineering and Autism?
Jarrold, C., & Routh, D. A. (1998) · Autism · doi:10.1177/1362361398023006 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
Global and Local Processing of Incidental Information and Memory Retrieval at 6 Months
Bhatt, R. S., Rovee‐Collier, C., & Shyi, G. C. ‐. (1994) · Journal of Experimental Child Psychology · doi:10.1006/jecp.1994.1007 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
Correlations among Field Dependence-Independence, Sex, Sex-Role Stereotype, and Age of Preschoolers
Chynn, E. W., Demick, J., Garrod, A. C., et al. (1991) · Perceptual and Motor Skills · doi:10.2466/pms.1991.73.3.747 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
Nonlinear pattern vision processes in early infancy
Freedland, R. L., & Dannemiller, J. L. (1996) · Infant Behavior and Development · doi:10.1016/s0163-6383(96)90041-7 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
CORRELATIONS AMONG FIELD DEPENDENCE-INDEPENDENCESEX, SEX-ROLE STEREOTYPE, AND AGE OF PRESCHOOLERS
Chynn, E. W. (1991) · Perceptual and Motor Skills · doi:10.2466/pms.73.7.747-756 · Cited by 1 · see citing works

Flagged first, then by citations

Sorted by citations

The weak coherence account: detail-focused cognitive style in autism spectrum disorders
Happé, F., & Frith, U. (2006) · Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders · doi:10.1007/s10803-005-0039-0 · Cited by 2,884 · see citing works
Self-citation
Enhanced Perceptual Functioning in Autism: An Update, and Eight Principles of Autistic Perception
Mottron, L., Dawson, M., Soulières, I., Hubert, B., & Burack, J. (2006) · Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders · doi:10.1007/s10803-005-0040-7 · Cited by 1,957 · see citing works
Executive dysfunction in autism☆
Hill, E. L. (2004) · Trends in Cognitive Sciences · doi:10.1016/j.tics.2003.11.003 · Cited by 1,468 · see citing works
Visual scanning of faces in autism
Pelphrey, K. A., Sasson, N. J., Reznick, J. S., Paul, G., Goldman, B. D., & Piven, J. (2002) · Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders · doi:10.1023/a:1016374617369 · Cited by 1,187 · see citing works
Understanding the Nature of Face Processing Impairment in Autism: Insights From Behavioral and Electrophysiological Studies
Dawson, G., Webb, S. J., & McPartland, J. (2005) · Developmental Neuropsychology · doi:10.1207/s15326942dn2703_6 · Cited by 989 · see citing works
Subcortical face processing
Johnson, M. H. (2005) · Nature Reviews Neuroscience · doi:10.1038/nrn1766 · Cited by 969 · see citing works
Evaluating the theory of executive dysfunction in autism
Hill, E. L. (2004) · Developmental Review · doi:10.1016/j.dr.2004.01.001 · Cited by 846 · see citing works
Increased dendritic spine densities on cortical projection neurons in autism spectrum disorders
Hutsler, J. J., & Zhang, H. (2010) · Brain Research · doi:10.1016/j.brainres.2009.09.120 · Cited by 765 · see citing works
An aberrant precision account of autism
Lawson, R. P., Rees, G., & Friston, K. J. (2014) · Frontiers in Human Neuroscience · doi:10.3389/fnhum.2014.00302 · Cited by 641 · see citing works
Attention, monotropism and the diagnostic criteria for autism
Murray, D., Lesser, M., & Lawson, W. (2005) · Autism · doi:10.1177/1362361305051398 · Cited by 558 · see citing works
The level and nature of autistic intelligence
Dawson, M., Soulières, I., Ann Gernsbacher, M., & Mottron, L. (2007) · Psychological Science · doi:10.1111/j.1467-9280.2007.01954.x · Cited by 549 · see citing works
Enhanced and diminished visuo-spatial information processing in autism depends on stimulus complexity
Bertone, A., Mottron, L., Jelenic, P., & Faubert, J. (2005) · Brain · doi:10.1093/brain/awh561 · Cited by 536 · see citing works
Sentence comprehension in autism: thinking in pictures with decreased functional connectivity
Kana, R. K. (2006) · Brain · doi:10.1093/brain/awl164 · Cited by 530 · see citing works
Cognitive profiles and social‐communicative functioning in children with autism spectrum disorder
Joseph, R. M., Tager‐Flusberg, H., & Lord, C. (2002) · Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry · doi:10.1111/1469-7610.00092 · Cited by 503 · see citing works
Identifying neurocognitive phenotypes in autism
Tager-Flusberg, H., & Joseph, R. M. (2003) · Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences · doi:10.1098/rstb.2002.1198 · Cited by 460 · see citing works
Convergence of biological and psychological perspectives on cognitive coordination in schizophrenia
Phillips, W. A., & Silverstein, S. M. (2003) · Behavioral and Brain Sciences · doi:10.1017/s0140525x03000025 · Cited by 445 · see citing works
Emanuel Miller lecture: Confusions and controversies about Asperger syndrome
Frith, U. (2004) · Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry · doi:10.1111/j.1469-7610.2004.00262.x · Cited by 439 · see citing works
Understanding autism: Insights from mind and brain
Hill, E. L., & Frith, U. (2003) · Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences · doi:10.1098/rstb.2002.1209 · Cited by 452 · see citing works
The temporal binding deficit hypothesis of autism
BROCK, J., BROWN, C. C., BOUCHER, J., & RIPPON, G. (2002) · Development and Psychopathology · doi:10.1017/s0954579402002018 · Cited by 419 · see citing works
Behavioral, Perceptual, and Neural Alterations in Sensory and Multisensory Function in Autism Spectrum Disorder
Baum, S. H., Stevenson, R. A., & Wallace, M. T. (2015) · Progress in Neurobiology · doi:10.1016/j.pneurobio.2015.09.007 · Cited by 370 · see citing works
Children and adolescents with autism exhibit reduced MEG steady-state gamma responses
Wilson, T. W., Rojas, D. C., Reite, M. L., Teale, P. D., & Rogers, S. J. (2007) · Biological Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/j.biopsych.2006.07.002 · Cited by 350 · see citing works
Locally oriented perception with intact global processing among adolescents with high-functioning autism: evidence from multiple paradigms
Mottron, L., Burack, J. A., Iarocci, G., Belleville, S., & Enns, J. T. (2003) · Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry · doi:10.1111/1469-7610.00174 · Cited by 345 · see citing works
Configural processing in autism and its relationship to face processing
Behrmann, M., Avidan, G., Leonard, G. L., Kimchi, R., Luna, B., Humphreys, K., & Minshew, N. (2006) · Neuropsychologia · doi:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2005.04.002 · Cited by 334 · see citing works
Spatial frequency and face processing in children with autism and Asperger syndrome
Deruelle, C., Rondan, C., Gepner, B., & Tardif, C. (2004) · Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders · doi:10.1023/b:jadd.0000022610.09668.4c · Cited by 336 · see citing works
Abnormal global processing along the dorsal visual pathway in autism: a possible mechanism for weak visuospatial coherence?
Pellicano, E., Gibson, L., Maybery, M., Durkin, K., & Badcock, D. R. (2005) · Neuropsychologia · doi:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2004.10.003 · Cited by 322 · see citing works
Disordered visual processing and oscillatory brain activity in autism and Williams syndrome
Grice, S. J., Spratling, M. W., Karmiloff-Smith, A., Halit, H., Csibra, G., de Haan, M., & Johnson, M. H. (2001) · Neuroreport · doi:10.1097/00001756-200108280-00021 · Cited by 322 · see citing works
Motion Perception in Autism: A “Complex” Issue
Bertone, A., Mottron, L., Jelenic, P., & Faubert, J. (2003) · Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience · doi:10.1162/089892903321208150 · Cited by 306 · see citing works
Are Autism Spectrum Disorder and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Different Manifestations of One Overarching Disorder? Cognitive and Symptom Evidence From a Clinical and Population-Based Sample
van der Meer, J. M. J., Oerlemans, A. M., van Steijn, D. J., Lappenschaar, M. G. A., de Sonneville, L. M. J., Buitelaar, J. K., & Rommelse, N. N. J. (2012) · Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/j.jaac.2012.08.024 · Cited by 303 · see citing works
Individual differences in executive function and central coherence predict developmental changes in theory of mind in autism
Pellicano, E. (2010) · Developmental Psychology · doi:10.1037/a0018287 · Cited by 301 · see citing works
Cognitive mechanisms, specificity and neural underpinnings of visuospatial peaks in autism
Caron, M.-J. (2006) · Brain · doi:10.1093/brain/awl072 · Cited by 282 · see citing works
Functional anatomy of impaired selective attention and compensatory processing in autism
Belmonte, M. K., & Yurgelun-Todd, D. A. (2003) · Cognitive Brain Research · doi:10.1016/s0926-6410(03)00189-7 · Cited by 266 · see citing works
Review of gender differences in core symptomatology in autism spectrum disorders
Rivet, T. T., & Matson, J. L. (2011) · Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders · doi:10.1016/j.rasd.2010.12.003 · Cited by 258 · see citing works
Autism spectrum disorder
Frith, U., & Happé, F. (2005) · Current Biology · doi:10.1016/j.cub.2005.09.033 · Cited by 245 · see citing works
Cognition in males and females with autism: similarities and differences
Lai, M.-C., Lombardo, M. V., Ruigrok, A. N. V., Chakrabarti, B., Wheelwright, S. J., Auyeung, B., Allison, C., MRC AIMS Consortium, & Baron-Cohen, S. (2012) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0047198 · Cited by 217 · see citing works
Functional magnetic resonance imaging of autism spectrum disorders
Dichter, G. S. (2012) · Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience · doi:10.31887/dcns.2012.14.3/gdichter · Cited by 215 · see citing works
The “Reading the Mind in Films” Task: Complex emotion recognition in adults with and without autism spectrum conditions
Golan, O., Baron-Cohen, S., Hill, J. J., & Golan, Y. (2006) · Social Neuroscience · doi:10.1080/17470910600980986 · Cited by 200 · see citing works
Executive function and developmental disorders: the flip side of the coin
Johnson, M. H. (2012) · Trends in Cognitive Sciences · doi:10.1016/j.tics.2012.07.001 · Cited by 190 · see citing works
Experience of Trauma and <scp>PTSD</scp> Symptoms in Autistic Adults: Risk of <scp>PTSD</scp> Development Following <scp>DSM</scp>‐5 and <scp>Non‐DSM</scp>‐5 Traumatic Life Events
Rumball, F., Happé, F., & Grey, N. (2020) · Autism Research · doi:10.1002/aur.2306 · Cited by 180 · see citing works
Self-citation
Restricted and repetitive behaviours, sensory processing and cognitive style in children with autism spectrum disorders
Chen, Y.-H., Rodgers, J., & McConachie, H. (2009) · Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders · doi:10.1007/s10803-008-0663-6 · Cited by 169 · see citing works
Gamma abnormalities during perception of illusory figures in autism
Brown, C., Gruber, T., Boucher, J., Rippon, G., & Brock, J. (2005) · Cortex · doi:10.1016/s0010-9452(08)70273-9 · Cited by 166 · see citing works
Brain network dynamics in high-functioning individuals with autism
Watanabe, T., & Rees, G. (2017) · Nature Communications · doi:10.1038/ncomms16048 · Cited by 165 · see citing works
Neurophysiological correlates of relatively enhanced local visual search in autistic adolescents
Manjaly, Z. M., Bruning, N., Neufang, S., Stephan, K. E., Brieber, S., Marshall, J. C., Kamp-Becker, I., Remschmidt, H., Herpertz-Dahlmann, B., Konrad, K., et al. (2007) · NeuroImage · doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2006.11.036 · Cited by 163 · see citing works
The broader autism phenotype and its implications on the etiology and treatment of autism spectrum disorders
Gerdts, J., & Bernier, R. (2011) · Autism Research and Treatment · doi:10.1155/2011/545901 · Cited by 146 · see citing works
Does perceived direct gaze boost detection in adults and children with and without autism? The stare-in-the-crowd effect revisited
Senju, A., Hasegawa, T., & Tojo, Y. (2005) · Visual Cognition · doi:10.1080/13506280444000797 · Cited by 148 · see citing works
What's domain-specific about theory of mind?
Stone, V. E., & Gerrans, P. (2006) · Social Neuroscience · doi:10.1080/17470910601029221 · Cited by 138 · see citing works
Is autism a disconnection disorder?
Frith, C. (2004) · The Lancet Neurology · doi:10.1016/s1474-4422(04)00875-0 · Cited by 139 · see citing works
Does WISC-IV underestimate the intelligence of autistic children?
Nader, A.-M., Courchesne, V., Dawson, M., & Soulières, I. (2016) · Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders · doi:10.1007/s10803-014-2270-z · Cited by 132 · see citing works
Embedded figures detection in autism and typical development: preliminary evidence of a double dissociation in relationships with visual search
Jarrold, C., Gilchrist, I. D., & Bender, A. (2005) · Developmental Science · doi:10.1111/j.1467-7687.2005.00422.x · Cited by 113 · see citing works
Diminished sensitivity of audiovisual temporal order in autism spectrum disorder
de Boer-Schellekens, L., Eussen, M., & Vroomen, J. (2013) · Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience · doi:10.3389/fnint.2013.00008 · Cited by 99 · see citing works
Humor in Autism and Asperger Syndrome
Lyons, V., & Fitzgerald, M. (2004) · Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders · doi:10.1007/s10803-004-2547-8 · Cited by 99 · see citing works
Review: Cortical construction in autism spectrum disorder: columns, connectivity and the subplate
Hutsler, J. J., & Casanova, M. F. (2016) · Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiology · doi:10.1111/nan.12227 · Cited by 94 · see citing works
Faces do not capture special attention in children with autism spectrum disorder: a change blindness study
Kikuchi, Y., Senju, A., Tojo, Y., Osanai, H., & Hasegawa, T. (2009) · Child Development · doi:10.1111/j.1467-8624.2009.01342.x · Cited by 90 · see citing works
Meanings in motion and faces: Developmental associations between the processing of intention from geometrical animations and gaze detection accuracy
CAMPBELL, R., LAWRENCE, K., MANDY, W., MITRA, C., JEYAKUMA, L., & SKUSE, D. (2006) · Development and Psychopathology · doi:10.1017/s0954579406060068 · Cited by 80 · see citing works
Brain oscillations and connectivity in autism spectrum disorders (ASD): new approaches to methodology, measurement and modelling
Kessler, K., Seymour, R. A., & Rippon, G. (2016) · Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.10.002 · Cited by 69 · see citing works
Postural sway patterns in children with autism spectrum disorder compared with typically developing children
Memari, A. H., Ghanouni, P., Gharibzadeh, S., Eghlidi, J., Ziaee, V., & Moshayedi, P. (2013) · Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders · doi:10.1016/j.rasd.2012.09.010 · Cited by 71 · see citing works
Brief Report: The Use of WAIS-III in Adults with HFA and Asperger Syndrome
Spek, A. A., Scholte, E. M., & van Berckelaer-Onnes, I. A. (2008) · Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders · doi:10.1007/s10803-007-0446-5 · Cited by 71 · see citing works
Sensory processing in autism across exteroceptive and interoceptive domains.
Proff, I., Williams, G. L., Quadt, L., & Garfinkel, S. N. (2022) · Psychology & Neuroscience · doi:10.1037/pne0000262 · Cited by 69 · see citing works
Processing of compound visual stimuli by children with autism and Asperger syndrome
Deruelle, C., Rondan, C., Gepner, B., & Fagot, J. (2006) · International Journal of Psychology · doi:10.1080/00207590500184610 · Cited by 58 · see citing works
Disembedding performance in children and adolescents with Asperger syndrome or high-functioning autism
Kaland, N., Mortensen, E. L., & Smith, L. (2007) · Autism · doi:10.1177/1362361307070988 · Cited by 54 · see citing works
Savant talent.
Pring, L. (2005) · Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology · doi:10.1017/s0012162205000976 · Cited by 38 · see citing works
A comparison of behavioral and emotional characteristics in children with autism, Prader–Willi syndrome, and Williams syndrome
Dimitropoulos, A., Ho, A. Y., Klaiman, C., Koenig, K., & Schultz, R. T. (2009) · Journal of Mental Health Research in Intellectual Disabilities · doi:10.1080/19315860903052204 · Cited by 31 · see citing works
Mapping Real-World to Online Vulnerability in Young People with Developmental Disorders: Illustrations from Autism and Williams Syndrome
Lough, E., Flynn, E., & Riby, D. M. (2015) · Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders · doi:10.1007/s40489-014-0029-2 · Cited by 28 · see citing works
The Cooperative Neuron: Cellular Foundations of Mental Life
Phillips, W. A. (2023) · doi:10.1093/oso/9780198876984.001.0001 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
Neurodiversity, Autism, and Psychiatric Disability: The Harmful Dysfunction Perspective
Wakefield, J. C., Wasserman, D., & Conrad, J. A. (2020) · The Oxford Handbook of Philosophy and Disability · doi:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190622879.013.29 · Cited by 6 · see citing works

Cognitive representations of peer relationships: linkages with discrete social cognition and social behavior
Meece, D., & Mize, J. (2008) · Early Child Development and Care · doi:10.1080/13619460701269609 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
Recognising ‘social’ and ‘non-social’ emotions in self and others: A study of autism
Williams, D. M., & Happe, F. G. E. (2010) · Autism · doi:10.1177/1362361309344849 · Cited by 85 · see citing works
The neuroscience of motivated cognition
Hughes, B., & Zaki, J. (2015) · Trends in Cognitive Sciences · doi:10.1016/j.tics.2014.12.006 · Cited by 155 · see citing works
Individual differences in perceiving and recognizing faces—One element of social cognition.
Wilhelm, O., Herzmann, G., Kunina‐Habenicht, O., Danthiir, V., Schacht, A., & Sommer, W. (2010) · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology · doi:10.1037/a0019972 · Cited by 195 · see citing works
The social life of cognition
Korman, J., Voiklis, J., & Malle, B. F. (2014) · Cognition · doi:10.1016/j.cognition.2014.11.005 · Cited by 22 · see citing works

Authors: Happé, F.
Venue: Trends in Cognitive Sciences
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Published: 1999-06
Volume: 3
Issue: 6
Pages: 216-222
ISSN: 1364-6613 (ISSN-L)
DOI: 10.1016/s1364-6613(99)01318-2
OpenAlex: W2064254171
Cited by: 957
References: 57
Citations by year: 2026: 16 · 2025: 17 · 2024: 25 · 2023: 42 · 2022: 36 · 2021: 30 · 2020: 31 · 2019: 33 · 2018: 30 · 2017: 46 · 2016: 34 · 2015: 42 · 2014: 49 · 2013: 51 · 2012: 45
FWCI: 1.31
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: closed
Licence: www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
Locations: Trends in Cognitive Sciences (publishedVersion)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
Topics: Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Child and Animal Learning Development
Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Developmental Neuroscience › Williams Syndrome Research
Keywords: autism spectrum disorder, weak central coherence, cognitive style, savant skills, extended phenotype, social interaction difficulties, individual differences

About these checks

Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.

Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.

What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›

Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review

Autism: cognitive deficit or cognitive style?

Abstract

Integrity signals

Claims the paper makes

Claims other papers make about this one

Cites

Cited by

Related

Record

About these checks