22706
Morality in Autism: As Understood through the Empathizing-Systemizing (E-S) Theory

Thursday, May 12, 2016: 11:30 AM-1:30 PM
Hall A (Baltimore Convention Center)
D. M. Greenberg1,2, R. Holt3, C. Allison3, P. J. Rentfrow4, D. J. Stillwell4, M. Kosinski5, J. Haidt6 and S. Baron-Cohen3, (1)Departments of Psychology and Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom, (2)Department of Clinical Psychology, City University of New York, New York, NY, (3)Autism Research Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom, (4)University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom, (5)Stanford University, Stanford, CA, (6)New York University, New York, NY
Background: What is the nature of morality in autism? Children and adults with autism are able to distinguish and judge moral transgressions, but little is known about their moral profile. The present research addresses this gap using Moral Foundations Theory (MFT), which postulates that all of our moral judgments can be explained by five universal ‘moral foundations’: Care, Fairness, Loyalty, Authority, and Sanctity.

Objectives: The aim of this research is to use several large datasets to (a) investigate the moral profile in autism; (b) understand how individual differences in moral foundations are underpinned by empathizing-systemizing ‘brain types’; and (c) examine which components of empathy (cognitive vs affective) drive moral foundations the most.

Methods: In Study 1, 193 adults with autism completed the Moral Foundations Questionnaire (MFQ) via the Autism Research Centre’s database. In Study 2, 7,595 adults without autism completed the MFQ and short versions of the Empathizing Quotient (SQ) and Systemizing Quotient (SQ) at YourMorals.org. In Study 3, 1,676 adults without autism completed the full 60-item version of the EQ via the MyPersonality Facebook Application, which allowed for examination of the different components of empathy to be made.

Results: In Study 1, adults with autism rated Fairness significantly greater than Care and the other moral foundations. In Study 2, on average, people with empathizing ‘brain types’ (Extreme Type E and Type E) had a moral profile that placed the highest value on Care, and people with systemizing ‘brain types’ (Type S and Extreme Type S) had a moral profile that placed the highest value on Fairness/reciprocity. In Study 3, affective empathy was a stronger predictor than cognitive empathy for Care, Fairness, and Sanctity morals. Strikingly affective empathy was a stronger predictor than demographic factors, political ideology and the Big 5 personality traits, where previous associations with moral foundations have been reported. 

Conclusions: The findings show that individuals with autism rate Fairness over Care and that this profile may be due to their heightened systemizing tendencies.  This moral profile resembles findings from previous research which has shown that libertarians also rate Fairness over Care. Future research needs to explore the extent to which the moral profile of autism resembles a hybrid of that shown previously by liberals and libertarians. Importantly, this work also provides evidence that individual differences in moral foundations are rooted in part by empathizing-systemizing 'brain types' in the general population.

See more of: Social Cognition and Social Behavior
See more of: Social Cognition and Social Behavior