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Impaired Competence for Pretense in Children with Autism: Exploring Potential Cognitive Predictors

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Abstract

Lack of pretense in children with autism has been explained by a number of theoretical explanations, including impaired mentalising, impaired response inhibition, and weak central coherence. This study aimed to empirically test each of these theories. Children with autism (n = 60) were significantly impaired relative to controls (n = 65) when interpreting pretense, thereby supporting a competence deficit hypothesis. They also showed impaired mentalising and response inhibition, but superior local processing indicating weak central coherence. Regression analyses revealed that mentalising significantly and independently predicted pretense. The results are interpreted as supporting the impaired mentalising theory and evidence against competing theories invoking impaired response inhibition or a local processing bias. The results of this study have important implications for treatment and intervention.

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Notes

  1. The term “metarepresentation” has been used to refer to different representational abilities. In referring to the ability to represent a representation, the term “secondary” representation (as used by Perner 1991) is used throughout this paper.

  2. Preliminary analyses indicated that performances within groups did not differ significantly between the self- and other-false belief tests therefore all between groups analyses were performed on a self- + other-false belief composite score.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by an Economic and Social Research Council studentship awarded to Sally Bigham at Brunel University. This support is gratefully acknowledged. The author would also like to thank staff and students at the schools that took part in this research. Sincerest gratitude is expressed to Prof. Jill Boucher who advised and assisted on preparation of the manuscript. Finally, the feedback of two anonymous reviewers has also been gratefully received.

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  1. Sally Bigham

    Present address: Bournemouth University, Bournemouth, UK

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Brunel University, London, UK

    Sally Bigham

  2. Psychology, Bournemouth University, Fern Barrow, Poole House, Talbot Campus, Poole, Dorset, BH12 5BB, UK

    Sally Bigham

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  1. Sally Bigham
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Correspondence to Sally Bigham.

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Bigham, S. Impaired Competence for Pretense in Children with Autism: Exploring Potential Cognitive Predictors. J Autism Dev Disord 40, 30–38 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-009-0820-6

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