Abstract
One of the key diagnostic criteria for autism spectrum disorder includes impairments in social interactions. This study compared the extent to which boys with high-functioning autism and typically developing boys “value” engaging in activities with a parent or alone. Two different assessments that can empirically determine the relative reinforcing value of social and non-social stimuli were employed: paired-choice preference assessments and progressive-ratio schedules. There were no significant differences between boys with high-functioning autism and typically developing boys on either measure. Moreover, there was a strong correspondence in performance across these two measures for participants in each group. These results suggest that the relative reinforcing value of engaging in activities with a primary caregiver is not diminished for children with autism spectrum disorder.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 881-895 |
Number of pages | 15 |
Journal | Autism |
Volume | 21 |
Issue number | 7 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Oct 1 2017 |
Keywords
- autism spectrum disorder
- high-functioning autism
- mother–child interaction
- preference
- progressive-ratio
- reward
- social
- value
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Developmental and Educational Psychology