Abstract
This study explores the relationship between Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ) and working memory (WM) capacity. It has been hypothesized that autism and Asperger Syndrome lie on a continuum of social-communication disabilities. According to the hypothesis, Asperger Syndrome is intermediate between autism and normality. The problem with WM capacity in autism is not in phonological WM, but rather in visuo-spatial WM. A similar pattern of WM capacity can also be observed in normally developing adults with high-AQ scores. Accordingly, this study examines the relationships between AQ in normally developing adults and WM capacities in terms of the phonological loop, the visuo-spatial sketchpad, and the central executive. The results show that a high-AQ group had less capacity for visuo-spatial WM than a low-AQ group. Among all participants, a negative correlation was found between AQ and visuo-spatial WM capacity. However, no differences were observed in the capacities of the phonological loop and the central executive between the high- and low-AQ groups. These results suggest that high-AQ individuals among normally developing adults exhibit a pattern that is a cognitive characteristic of autism.
