Abstract
Individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) exhibit intact rote learning with impaired generalization. A transitive
inference paradigm, involving training on four sequentially presented stimulus pairs containing overlapping items, with subsequent
testing on two novel pairs, was used to investigate this pattern of learning in 27 young adults with ASDs and 31 matched neurotypical
individuals (TYPs). On the basis of findings about memory and neuropathology, we hypothesized that individuals with ASDs would
use a relational flexibility/conjunctive strategy reliant on an intact hippocampus, versus an associative strength/value transfer strategy requiring intact interactions between the prefrontal cortex and the striatum. Hypotheses were largely confirmed.
ASDs demonstrated reduced interference from intervening pairs in early training; only TYPs formed a serial position curve
by test; and ASDs exhibited impairments on the novel test pair consisting of end items with intact performance on the inner
test pair. However, comparable serial position curves formed for both groups by the end of the first block.
inference paradigm, involving training on four sequentially presented stimulus pairs containing overlapping items, with subsequent
testing on two novel pairs, was used to investigate this pattern of learning in 27 young adults with ASDs and 31 matched neurotypical
individuals (TYPs). On the basis of findings about memory and neuropathology, we hypothesized that individuals with ASDs would
use a relational flexibility/conjunctive strategy reliant on an intact hippocampus, versus an associative strength/value transfer strategy requiring intact interactions between the prefrontal cortex and the striatum. Hypotheses were largely confirmed.
ASDs demonstrated reduced interference from intervening pairs in early training; only TYPs formed a serial position curve
by test; and ASDs exhibited impairments on the novel test pair consisting of end items with intact performance on the inner
test pair. However, comparable serial position curves formed for both groups by the end of the first block.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Pages 1-13
- DOI 10.3758/s13415-011-0040-3
- Authors
- Marjorie Solomon, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, USA
- Michael J. Frank, Departments of Cognitive & Linguistic Sciences and Psychology, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
- Anne C. Smith, Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, USA
- Stanford Ly, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, USA
- Cameron S. Carter, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, USA
- Journal Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience
- Online ISSN 1531-135X
- Print ISSN 1530-7026