Size Constancy is Preserved but Afterimages are Prolonged in Typical Individuals with Higher Degrees of Self-Reported Autistic Traits.
Irene Sperandio, Katy L Unwin, Oriane Landry and 1 others
PMID 27878738WHAT IT FOUND
Size constancy was unaffected by autistic traits in typical adults.
Afterimage duration was longer in people with higher autistic traits. Vividness was not related to autistic traits.
Key findings
01Size constancy was unaffected by autistic traits.
02Afterimage duration was longer in people with higher autistic traits.
03Vividness of afterimages did not vary with autistic traits.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they found
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What it does not show
The study did not test individuals with autism, so it cannot show what happens in diagnosed autism. It used self-reported autistic traits in typical adults, not a clinical diagnosis. It did not include a direct measure of sensory sensitivity, so it does not directly test light hypersensitivity. Vividness was judged from memory, so it was more subjective than duration. Afterimage timing was not fully automated, so timing accuracy was limited.
Declared interests
La Trobe University Understanding Diseases funded the work.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that people with autism have prolonged afterimages. This study measured typical adults with self-reported autistic traits, not people diagnosed with autism, and it did not directly test sensory sensitivity.