Autism: Too eager to learn? Event related potential findings of increased dependency on intentional learning in a serial reaction time task

It has been suggested that people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have an increased tendency to use explicit (or intentional) learning strategies. This altered learning may play a role in the development of the social communication difficulties characterizing ASD. In the current study, we invest...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Autism research 2017-09, Vol.10 (9), p.1533-1543
Main Authors: Zwart, Fenny S., Vissers, Constance Th.W.M., van der Meij, Roemer, Kessels, Roy P.C., Maes, Joseph H.R.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Autism
autism spectrum disorder
Autism Spectrum Disorder - physiopathology
Emotional disorders
event related potentials
Evoked Potentials - physiology
Explicit knowledge
Female
Humans
implicit learning
incidental learning
Learning
Learning - physiology
Male
N2b
Reaction time
Reaction Time - physiology
serial reaction time task
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Summary:It has been suggested that people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have an increased tendency to use explicit (or intentional) learning strategies. This altered learning may play a role in the development of the social communication difficulties characterizing ASD. In the current study, we investigated incidental and intentional sequence learning using a Serial Reaction Time (SRT) task in an adult ASD population. Response times and event related potentials (ERP) components (N2b and P3) were assessed as indicators of learning and knowledge. Findings showed that behaviorally, sequence learning and ensuing explicit knowledge were similar in ASD and typically developing (TD) controls. However, ERP findings showed that learning in the TD group was characterized by an enhanced N2b, while learning in the ASD group was characterized by an enhanced P3. These findings suggest that learning in the TD group might be more incidental in nature, whereas learning in the ASD group is more intentional or effortful. Increased intentional learning might serve as a strategy for individuals with ASD to control an overwhelming environment. Although this led to similar behavioral performances on the SRT task, it is very plausible that this intentional learning has adverse effects in more complex social situations, and hence contributes to the social impairments found in ASD. Autism Res 2017, 10: 1533–1543. © 2017 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
ISSN:1939-3792
1939-3806
DOI:10.1002/aur.1802