Abstract
To investigate how people with Autism are affected by the presence of goals during imitation, we conducted a study to measure
movement kinematics and eye movements during the imitation of goal-directed and goal-less hand movements. Our results showed
that a control group imitated changes in movement kinematics and increased the level that they tracked the hand with their
eyes, in the goal-less compared to goal-direction condition. In contrast, the ASD group exhibited more goal-directed eye movements,
and failed to modulate the observed movement kinematics successfully in either condition. These results increase the evidence
for impaired goal-less imitation in ASD, and suggest that there is a reliance on goal-directed strategies for imitation in
ASD, even in the absence of visual goals.
movement kinematics and eye movements during the imitation of goal-directed and goal-less hand movements. Our results showed
that a control group imitated changes in movement kinematics and increased the level that they tracked the hand with their
eyes, in the goal-less compared to goal-direction condition. In contrast, the ASD group exhibited more goal-directed eye movements,
and failed to modulate the observed movement kinematics successfully in either condition. These results increase the evidence
for impaired goal-less imitation in ASD, and suggest that there is a reliance on goal-directed strategies for imitation in
ASD, even in the absence of visual goals.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Pages 1-11
- DOI 10.1007/s10803-011-1417-4
- Authors
- Kelly S. Wild, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Ellen Poliakoff, School of Psychology, Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Andrew Jerrison, Faculty of Humanities, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Emma Gowen, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Journal Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
- Online ISSN 1573-3432
- Print ISSN 0162-3257