Evidence for Dissociable Visual Perception and Executive Functioning Processes in Typically Developing Adults with Varying Degrees of Autistic-like Characteristics

Background:  The ability to recognize differences between visual stimuli has been noted as a particular strength for individuals with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), as well as for adults with varying degrees of subclinical autistic-like characteristics.  Alternatively, executive functioning processes have been demonstrated to be a relative weakness for these individuals.  Limited research is currently available investigating the interaction between visual perception and executive functioning, particularly in an ASD or subclinical population.  

Objectives:  The aim of the current study was to investigate the relationship between visual perception and executive functioning processes in a subclinical group of adults along the Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ) range.  

Methods:  One hundred typically developing adults with scores across the AQ range completed an implicit association learning task that involved mapping four distinct visual stimuli on to four unique button responses.  Half of the participants completed the implicit association learning task with novel symbols (i.e., control condition), whilst the remaining participants were familiarized with the test stimuli prior to the learning task to eliminate any potential perceptual strategies (i.e., familiarization condition).  Participants completed the implicit association learning task to a point of overlearning, and the number of trial bins required to reach a 90% accuracy criterion was established using logarithmic transformations.  

Results:   Univariate regression analyses revealed that learning performance in the control condition increased in accordance with AQ score, such that individuals with higher AQ scores were more likely to learn the implicit association task faster than participants with lower AQ scores when awarded an inter-stimulus perceptual advantage.  However, when participants were no longer awarded a perceptual advantage in the familiarization condition, implicit association learning showed the opposite pattern, such that performance was hindered for participants with high AQ scores and enhanced for participants with low AQ scores.  The Attention to Detail subscale of the AQ was found to be significantly related to performance in the control condition, supporting the perceptual advantage hypothesis.  Performance for participants in the familiarization condition was significantly related to the Social Skills subscale, and a trend was found for the Attention Switching subscale, suggesting that additional factors may play a role in implicit association learning.  

Conclusions:  These findings confirm the visual perception advantage and executive functioning deficit in individuals along the AQ spectrum, and are the first to demonstrate a double dissociation model for visual perception and executive functioning in this population.  These findings are discussed in relation to potential models for visual perception and executive functioning in typical and ASD populations.