Intimate Relationships and the Broad Autism Phenotype in Young Adults

Background: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is characterized by social and communication impairments and this can lead to difficulties in relationships.  Studies suggest there is often a strong motivation for social connection in those with ASD (Hellemans et al., 2007; Henault, 2005), and for many young adults with or without ASD, intimate relationships provide an important source of companionship (Shulman & Kipnis, 2001). Studying intimate relationships and the broad autism phenotype (BAP) in a large sample of young adults with subthreshold ASD symptoms can contribute to our understanding of those with clinically significant impairments. 

Objectives: This study examines how subthreshold ASD symptoms relate to intimate relationship experience, satisfaction and interest. We hypothesized that a) adults with higher self-reported BAP scores would be less likely to report being in an intimate relationship, b) happiness in current relationship would be negatively related to BAP, and c) the desire to be in a relationship would not relate to BAP.

Methods: Participants included 578 young adults, 18 to 25 years of age, without an ASD diagnosis (M = 22.4 years, SD= 2.0, 48.6% men).  Participants completed an online survey of demographics and the 24-item Subthreshold Autism Trait Questionnaire (SATQ; Kanne, Want, & Christ, 2011), with higher scores indicating a higher expression of BAP. SATQ subscales include Social Interaction and Enjoyment, Oddness, Reading Facial Expressions, Expressive Language, and Rigidity. Participants were also asked to report on their current relationship status, happiness in current relationship (7-point likert scale from very unhappy to very happy), and desire for an intimate relationship (yes/no). 

Results: Preliminary results suggest that those currently in a relationship (N = 302) had significantly lower autism phenotype scores (M = 23.66, SD = 9.60) compared to those not in a relationship (M = 27.05, SD = 9.34), t(502) = -3.93, p < .001; d = .36. All SATQ subscale scores were significantly higher for those not in a relationship, with the exception of rigidity. Of those in a relationship, higher autism phenotype scores were negatively correlated with relationship happiness (r = -.14, p < .05). When specific SATQ subscales were examined, relationship happiness was negatively correlated with expressive language (r = -.16, p < .01) and social interaction and enjoyment (r = -.14, p< .05). The vast majority of participants (87.7%) reported a desire for an intimate relationship. Overall, autism phenotype did not distinguish between those interested and those not. 

Conclusions: The BAP appears to relate to relationship status and satisfaction, although individuals with stronger ASD symptoms do not necessarily lack an interest in intimate relationships. Effect sizes were consistently small, and may have been larger if considering not only those with subclinical symptoms, but those with diagnosed ASD as well. This study suggests that symptoms of ASD may be related to intimate relationship experiences, though causality cannot be inferred by the current methodology alone. More research is needed to parse out the specific characteristics and social difficulties of ASD that have the greatest impact on relationships.