Perceptual decision-making in autism as assessed by spot the difference visual cognition tasks

Discriminating between similar figures proves to be a remarkably demanding task due to the limited capacity of our visual cognitive processes. Here we examine how perceptual inference and decision-making are modulated by differences arising from neurodiversity. A large sample of autistic (n = 140) and typical (n = 147) participants completed two forced choice similarity judgement tasks online. Each task consisted of match (identical figures) and mismatch (subtle differences between figures) conditions. Signal detection theory analyses indicated a response bias by the autism group during conditions of uncertainty. More specifically, autistic participants were more likely to choose the mismatch option, thus leading to more hits on the mismatch condition, but also more false alarms on the match condition. These results suggest differences in response strategies during perceptual decision-making in autism.

Automated summary

The study found that in discriminating between similar figures, individuals with autism are more likely to choose the mismatch option, leading to more incorrect judgments.