Autistic Traits and Social Learning: A Peek Behind the Curtain of the Mind

Wednesday, October 16, 2024.

A new study, published in Nature Mental Health, reveals intriguing insights into how people with autistic traits learn by observing others.

The findings suggest that those with these traits tend to prefer imitation over trying to understand the motives behind other people’s actions.

Think of it like watching someone use a new gadget—do you copy their actions exactly or try to figure out why they’re doing what they’re doing?

For many on the autism spectrum, imitation seems to be the favored approach, skipping the complex step of asking “why?”

This breakthrough could significantly improve our understanding of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), as well as the broader set of autism-like traits present in the general population.

The results of this study provide fresh insights into how the brain processes social learning, making it an important step forward for both researchers and therapists working with folks on the autism spectrum.

What Is Autism?

Autism spectrum disorder, commonly known as autism, is a neurodevelopmental condition that impacts communication, behavior, and social interaction.

Folks on the spectrum often face challenges in picking up on social cues, understanding others' emotions, and adjusting to dynamic social environments. These challenges vary widely, which is why autism is described as a “spectrum.”

But it’s not only those diagnosed with autism who experience these traits. Many people exhibit autism-like characteristics without a formal diagnosis. These traits, referred to as subclinical, include difficulties with social learning and interpreting others' intentions.

Social Learning: Copy or Understand?

Led by Qianying Wu, a PhD candidate at California Institute of Technology, this study aimed to dig deeper into how people with autistic traits learn through observation.

Wu explains, “Social behavior is extremely complex and involves psychological processes like attention, perception, learning, and decision making.” Social learning is happening all the time, whether you’re figuring out why someone is smiling or trying to navigate an awkward social scenario.

For those with autistic traits, the learning process seems to lean more heavily on imitation than on deeper reasoning about why someone does what they do.

In their study, the researchers used a clever slot machine task.

Participants had to watch a simulated partner choose one of three machines, each offering a different colored token, only one of which was valuable.

The goal?

Figure out which token was valuable by watching the partner’s choices—but here’s the kicker: there was no direct feedback about whether the partner’s decisions were right or wrong. Participants had to deduce the valuable token based purely on observation, making it a perfect setup to test whether they’d imitate actions or try to infer the reasoning behind them.

Imitation vs. Emulation

Using computational models (fancy algorithms that analyze decision-making), the researchers zeroed in on two learning strategies: imitation and emulation.

Imitation is simple—copy exactly what someone else does.

Emulation, on the other hand, requires figuring out why the person is acting a certain way and then devising your own method to reach the same goal.

The results were fascinating.

People with higher levels of autistic traits were more likely to imitate than to emulate.

They copied the observed actions without necessarily asking why their partner made those choices. It’s not that they were incapable of learning; they just preferred a more direct, action-based method. As Wu explains, “They may not think about ‘why’ others act that way, which is a more efficient way of learning, but they’re more likely to copy actions or stick to their own methods.”

Interestingly, participants with higher autistic traits could still imitate just as well as anyone else—they simply found the more complex cognitive process of emulation more challenging.

What Does This Mean for Autism?

These findings align with what we already know about the social challenges people with autism face.

Struggling to understand why people act a certain way can make social interactions tricky.

This study helps explain why—it’s not just about picking up on what others do, but also about understanding their motivations, a step that seems to be more difficult for those with autistic traits.

But the study didn’t stop there.

Some participants employed different strategies altogether. Rather than imitating or emulating, they stuck to their own fixed patterns, like always choosing the same option regardless of what their partner did. This, too, was linked to autistic traits and highlights the diversity in how people on the spectrum approach learning.

Implications for Future Research

Although the study provides valuable insights, Wu and her team caution that the participants weren’t formally diagnosed with autism. Instead, the research focused on autistic traits in the general population. However, the findings open up exciting possibilities for future studies.

Wu hopes to apply the same methods to formally diagnosed folks on the autism spectrum, which could lead to improved diagnostic tools or new interventions for those struggling with social learning.

Wu also emphasized the importance of the team’s approach, known as “computational psychiatry.” This method uses mathematical models to better understand why people behave the way they do, offering a more detailed look into the brain’s decision-making process.

Final thoughts

This study provides a deeper understanding of how people with autistic traits engage in social learning. It highlights the reliance on imitation over emulation, offering a new lens through which to view the social challenges faced by those on the autism spectrum.

As research in this area continues, we can expect even more breakthroughs in how we understand and support people with autism.

Be Well, Stay Kind, and Godspeed.

RESOURCES:

Wu, Q., Oh, S., Tadayonnejad, R., Feusner, J. D., Cockburn, J. P., O’Doherty, J. P., & Charpentier, C. J. (2024). Individual differences in autism-like traits are associated with reduced goal emulation in a computational model of observational learning. Nature Mental Health.