ERIC Number: EJ1464243
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Apr
Pages: 15
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0162-3257
EISSN: EISSN-1573-3432
Available Date: 2024-03-06
Quicker Exogenous Orienting and Slower Endogenous Orienting in Autistic People
Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, v55 n4 p1495-1509 2025
Research is equivocal on whether attention orienting is atypical in autism. This study investigated two types of attention orienting in autistic people and accounted for the potential confounders of alerting level, co-occurring symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and anxiety, age, and sex. Twenty-seven autistic participants (14 males; 9-43 years) and 22 age- and sex-matched non-autistic participants (13 males; 9-42 years) completed the exogenous and endogenous Posner tasks. Response time and pupillometric data were recorded. Autistic participants were faster at orienting attention to valid cues in the exogenous task and slower at disengaging from invalid cues in the endogenous task compared to non-autistic participants. With increasing age, autistic participants showed faster exogenous and endogenous orienting, whereas non-autistic participants showed faster exogenous orienting but stable speed of endogenous orienting. Higher ADHD symptoms were associated with slower exogenous orienting in both groups, whereas higher anxiety symptoms were associated with faster exogenous orienting only in autistic participants. No group differences were noted for alerting levels, sex, or pupillary responses. This study provides new evidence of superior exogenous orienting and inefficient endogenous orienting in autistic people and suggests that age and co-occurring symptoms are important to consider when assessing attention orienting in autism.
Descriptors: Children, Adolescents, Adults, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Attention Control, Attention Span, Shift Studies, Discrimination Learning, Anxiety, Age Differences, Gender Differences, Reaction Time, Cues, Eye Movements, Orientation, Neuropsychology, Motivation Techniques
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Data File: URL: https://doi-org.bibliotheek.ehb.be/10.17605/OSF.IO/NGQT2
Author Affiliations: 1The University of Melbourne, Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, Parkville, Australia; 2The University of Melbourne, Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Australia