‘Autistic’ Traits in Non-Autistic Japanese Populations: Relationships with Personality Traits and Cognitive Ability

• Published in: Journal of autism and developmental disorders Vol. 36; no. 4; pp. 553 - 566
• Main Authors: Kunihira, Yura, Senju, Atsushi, Dairoku, Hitoshi, Wakabayashi, Akio, Hasegawa, Toshikazu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Heidelberg Springer 01.05.2006
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Anxiety; Anxiety Disorders - diagnosis; Anxiety Disorders - epidemiology; Asian Continental Ancestry Group; Autism; Autistic Disorder - psychology; Biological and medical sciences; Cognition; Cognition Disorders - diagnosis; Cognition Disorders - ethnology; Cognitive Ability; Construct Validity; Correlation; Depression; Depression (Psychology); Depression - diagnosis; Depression - epidemiology; Female; Foreign Countries; Humans; Japan; Japanese people; Male; Measures (Individuals); Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous; Personality; Personality Disorders - diagnosis; Personality Disorders - ethnology; Personality Inventory; Personality Traits; Psychological Studies; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychometrics; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Severity of Illness Index; Surveys and Questionnaires; Symptoms (Individual Disorders); Wechsler Scales; Japan; Asia; Mood disorder; Social environment; Human; Affect affectivity; Healthy subject; Cognitive ability; Depression; Developmental disorder; Cognition; Personality; Student; general population; Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ); Autism; Symptomatology; Anxiety
• ISSN: 0162-3257; 1573-3432
• DOI: 10.1007/s10803-006-0094-1

We explored the relationships between "autistic" traits as measured by the AQ (Autism-Spectrum Quotient; Baron-Cohen et al., J. Autism Develop. Disord. (2001b) 31 5) and various personality traits or cognitive ability, which usually coincide with autistic symptoms, for general populations. Results showed the AQ was associated with tendencies toward an obsessional personality as defined by the TCI (Temperament and Character Inventory), higher depression and anxiety, and higher frequency of experience of being bullied. These results parallel the patterns in autism and corroborate the validity of the AQ for general populations. Contrary to our prediction, however, there was no relationship between the AQ and cognitive ability, such as theory of mind, executive functioning, and central coherence, suggesting the AQ does not reflect autism-specific cognitive patterns in general populations.