Jealousy and Social Engagement in Very Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Background: Jealousy is expereinced in a triadic context, where a potential threat exists that a valued relationship will be lost to a rival. Thus, expression of jealousy requires children to intersubjectively share with others. Intersubjective sharing is a core deficits in ASD—leading to speculation concerning their ability to express jealousy. Recent data presented evidence of jealousy indices in some high-functioning preadolescents and preschoolers with ASD (IQ>75) (Bauinger, 2004; Bauminger, Chomsky-Smolkin, Orbach-Caspi,  Zachor, & Levy-Shiff, 2008), and in half of low-functioning preschoolers with autism (IQ<75) (Bauminger et al., 2008), but no data was presented yet regarding children with ASD who are younger than three years. Also the link between jelaousy and social engagement was not yet examined.  

Objectives:  In an attempt to illuminate the nature of autism's affective deficit, the present study aimed to conduct assessment of  jealousy in very young children with ASD (personal–mother and nonpersonal–stranger) and to identify jealousy's linkage with experimenter-child's social egngagement.

Methods: Participants included 19 toddlers with ASD (CA=23.16, months). To provok jealousy we manipulated two triadic conditions (personal mother-child-baby doll scenario and nonpersonal stranger-child-baby doll scenario), consisting of the mother/stranger putting a "life-like newborn-baby doll" on her lap, and cuddling the newborn-baby doll (e.g., Hart, Aaron, Jones, & Field, 2003). Social engagament was tested through 3 interactive social tasks based on the ADOS (Lord et al., 2000) including bubble play; peek-a-boo and playing with a Balloon. 

Results:  Repeated measure ANOVA conducted to examine differences in protest behaviors between the two situations (personal/non-personal) revealed a significant main effect for situation, F(1,18) = 7.30, p < .05, η2 = .29. Young children with ASD showed more protest behaviors in the jealousy personal situation (mother-holding the baby-doll) versus the non-personal situation (stranger holding the baby-doll). Furthermore, eye gazes, physical proximity behaviors and verbal gestures were directed more towards the mother in both the personal and non-personal situations versus the stranger. Higher levels of social engagement were linked with more eye gazes, physical proximity behaviors and verbal gestures in the jealousy personal situation. 

Conclusions: The fact that jealousy expressions were higher in the personal-mother condition than the nonpersonal - stranger situation and the link between jealousy and social engagement in very young children with ASD holds significant implications for understanding ASD children’s intersubjective capabilities.