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Typical Emotion Processing for Cartoon but not for Real Faces in Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders

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Abstract

This study evaluated whether atypical face processing in autism extends from human to cartoon faces for which they show a greater interest. Twenty children with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) were compared to two groups of typically developing children, matched on chronological and mental age. They processed the emotional expressions of real faces, human cartoon and non-human cartoon faces. Children with ASD were as capable as controls in processing emotional expressions, but strategies differed according to the type of face. Controls relied on a configural strategy with all faces. By contrast, ASD children exploited this typical configural strategy with cartoons but used a local strategy with real faces. This atypical visual processing style is discussed in the context of face expertise.

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Notes

  1. This study included not only human but also non-human cartoon faces in order to create a stimuli continuum, with decreasing human-related features from photographs of real faces to human cartoon faces and from human to non-human cartoon faces. Also, note that previous studies have shown that individuals with ASD process differently age and emotion as a function of the nature of cartoon faces (human versus non-human; Gross 2002, 2004).

  2. The within-subject factor Emotion (sad/happy/angry) was not included because preliminary analyses (two-way ANOVA using Group as a between-subject factor and Emotion as a within-subject factor) on the number of errors showed no significant main effect of Group (F(2,15) = 1.17, p > .05) nor of Emotion (F(2,30) = 3.2, p > .05). Also, the Group × Emotion interaction was not significant (F(4,30) = .3, p > .05). Data for the three conditions were thus pulled together for all the following analyses.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to the children and their parents for their participation in the study. We also wish to thank the staff of the Autism Resource Centres of Marseille and St Egrève. This research was supported by SEDSU (FP6-2003-NEST-PATH).

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Correspondence to Delphine B. Rosset.

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Rosset, D.B., Rondan, C., Da Fonseca, D. et al. Typical Emotion Processing for Cartoon but not for Real Faces in Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders. J Autism Dev Disord 38, 919–925 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-007-0465-2

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