Host: The Japanese Society for Cognitive Psychology
It has been suggested that persons with autism spectrum disorders tend to have difficulties in imitation of mirror body image and perspective taking. In this study, we examined the relationship among self/other’s body image, visual space image, and autistic trait. Participants completed questionnaires asking self-assessments of degrees of left/right confusion, of difficulties in imitating other persons in mirror image, and of associations between spatial directions and colors, in addition to the Autism-spectrum Quotient questionnaires. Participants with left-right confusion tended to experience difficulties in imitating mirrored others. Also, participants with higher AQ tended to have more left/right confusion and had weaker association between spatial directions and colors. The results suggest that overlapping processes might underlie left-right confusion and mirror image imitation, might be related to the autistic traits of individuals.
