Abstract (click to view)
Social anxiety symptoms and traits related to autism spectrum disorders have both been linked to deficits in social cognition, particularly impaired Theory of Mind (ToM) or mentalizing ability. Traits associated with autism and social anxiety symptoms will be assessed in an undergraduate population using the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ), the Social Phobia Scale (SPS), the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (SIAS), and the Leibowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS). This study will assess the impact of social anxiety symptoms and traits related to autism on mentalizing ability in subclinical populations. Further, the type of mentalizing errors made will be examined using the ecologically valid Movie for the Assessment of Social Cognition (MASC). The study will also explore whether the type of stimuli, either emotional or cognitive, has an effect on the type of mentalizing errors that are made.
Savannah Ostner
Major: Psychology; Minors: Neuroscience, Biology, Cognitive Science
Faculty mentor: Ben Tabak
This was an interesting talk, particularly because your results didn’t seem to match your initial hypotheses very well. As you say, it could be due to the population you tested. I would also be interested in the stimuli you employed in this study. Thank you for your presentation!