Journal
JOURNAL OF AUTISM AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS
Volume 36, Issue 1, Pages 5-25Publisher
SPRINGER/PLENUM PUBLISHERS
DOI: 10.1007/s10803-005-0039-0
Keywords
autism spectrum disorders; central coherence; cognitive style; individual differences; local-global processing
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Funding
- Medical Research Council [G9617036] Funding Source: Medline
- MRC [G9617036] Funding Source: UKRI
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Weak central coherence refers to the detail-focused processing style proposed to characterise autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The original suggestion of a core deficit in central processing resulting in failure to extract global form/meaning, has been challenged in three ways. First, it may represent an outcome of superiority in local processing. Second, it may be a processing bias, rather than deficit. Third, weak coherence may occur alongside, rather than explain, deficits in social cognition. A review of over 50 empirical studies of coherence suggests robust findings of local bias in ASD, with mixed findings regarding weak global processing. Local bias appears not to be a mere side-effect of executive dysfunction, and may be independent of theory of mind deficits. Possible computational and neural models are discussed.
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