Abstract
We analyze the hypothesis that some individuals on the autism spectrum may use visual mental representations and processes
to perform certain tasks that typically developing individuals perform verbally. We present a framework for interpreting empirical
evidence related to this “Thinking in Pictures” hypothesis and then provide comprehensive reviews of data from several different
cognitive tasks, including the n-back task, serial recall, dual task studies, Raven’s Progressive Matrices, semantic processing, false belief tasks, visual
search, spatial recall, and visual recall. We also discuss the relationships between the Thinking in Pictures hypothesis and
other cognitive theories of autism including Mindblindness, Executive Dysfunction, Weak Central Coherence, and Enhanced Perceptual
Functioning.
to perform certain tasks that typically developing individuals perform verbally. We present a framework for interpreting empirical
evidence related to this “Thinking in Pictures” hypothesis and then provide comprehensive reviews of data from several different
cognitive tasks, including the n-back task, serial recall, dual task studies, Raven’s Progressive Matrices, semantic processing, false belief tasks, visual
search, spatial recall, and visual recall. We also discuss the relationships between the Thinking in Pictures hypothesis and
other cognitive theories of autism including Mindblindness, Executive Dysfunction, Weak Central Coherence, and Enhanced Perceptual
Functioning.
- Content Type Journal Article
- DOI 10.1007/s10803-010-1137-1
- Authors
- Maithilee Kunda, Design & Intelligence Laboratory, School of Interactive Computing, Georgia Institute of Technology, 85 Fifth Street NW, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
- Ashok K. Goel, Design & Intelligence Laboratory, School of Interactive Computing, Georgia Institute of Technology, 85 Fifth Street NW, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
- Journal Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
- Online ISSN 1573-3432
- Print ISSN 0162-3257