The Extreme Male Brain theory and gender role behaviour in persons with an autism spectrum condition

2011 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 1209-1214 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.E.A. Stauder ◽  
L.J.M. Cornet ◽  
R.W.H.M. Ponds
Keyword(s):  
Gender Role ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Autism Spectrum Condition ◽  
Extreme Male Brain ◽  
Spectrum Condition ◽  
Brain Theory ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Extreme Male Brain Theory

scholarly journals Autistic traits, empathizing-systemizing, and gender variance

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olivia Hendriks ◽  
Yimeng Wei ◽  
Varun Warrier ◽  
Gareth Richards
Keyword(s):  
Autistic Traits ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Autism Spectrum Quotient ◽  
Gender Variance ◽  
Gender Variant ◽  
Sexual Orientations ◽  
Extreme Male Brain ◽  
Brain Theory ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Extreme Male Brain Theory

Previous research indicates a link between autism and gender variance, though the basis for this association is not fully understood. The current study examined autistic traits (as measured by the Autism Spectrum Quotient [AQ]) and empathizing and systemizing (as measured by the Empathizing Quotient-Short [EQ-S] and Systemizing Quotient-Short [SQ-S]) in a sample of n=89 UK adults representing a broad range of gender identities and sexual orientations. Compared with cisgender individuals (i.e. those who identify as the same gender as that assigned at birth), gender variant participants had significantly higher AQ and SQ-S scores, and stronger systemizing relative to empathizing (D-score). Further analysis revealed that there were significant differences between cisgender females and those assigned female at birth who do not identify as female (transgender AFAB), but not between cisgender males and those assigned male at birth who do not identify as male (transgender AMAB). These findings are broadly in line with the extreme male brain theory of autism, and may be relevant for developing effective support for gender variant and/or autistic individuals.

scholarly journals Profil Gaya Kognitif Empathizing-Systemizing pada Anak Indonesia

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 109
Author(s):  
Ni Putu Adelia Kesumaningsari
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Styles ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Autism Spectrum Conditions ◽  
Autism Spectrum Condition ◽  
Biological Factors ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Features ◽  
Extreme Male Brain ◽  
Empathy Quotient ◽  
Spectrum Condition

Abstract—The present study examined Empathizing-Systemizing Theory (E-S Theory) in Indonesian Children. E-S Theory has known as a theory that is attempted to explain the cluster of both the social and non-social features in autism spectrum conditions. Children’s version of the Empathy Quotient (EQ-C) and the Systemizing Quotient (SQ-C) were administered to 372 Indonesia parents who had typically developed children aged 4-11 years old (boys = 182, girls = 190). The results showed that the girls scored higher that boys on EQ-C . In the case of SQ-C, there were no differences between boys and girls. However, the proportion of cognitive style shows clear individual differences between boys and girls. The proportion of participants with empathizing dominant cognitive sytle was shown higher by girls than boys, which distributed to E and Extreme E brain types, while the proportion of systemizing dominant cognitive styles is higher in boys whom brain types spread across the Type S and Extreme S categories. This study explaining inherited biological factors of autism and  underscore the vulnerability among  boys to develop autism spectrum condition if compared to girls. Keywords: Empathizing Quotient (EQ), extreme male brain of autism, sex, Systemizing Quotient (SQ)   Abstrak—Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menguji teori Empathizing-Systemizing (E-S Theory) pada konteks anak Indonesia. E-S Theory dikenal sebagai sebuah teori yang digunakan untuk melihat gugus fitur sosial dan non-sosial kondisi spektrum autisme. Subjek penelitian ini adalah 372 orang tua Indonesia dengan anak berusia 4-11 tahun (anak laki-laki = 182, perempuan = 190), M usia = 7 Tahun, SD= 2.423 yang diminta untuk mengisi skala Empathizing Quotient (EQ) dan Systemizing Quotient (SQ). Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa bahwa tingkat empati anak perempuan lebih tinggi daripada tingkat empati anak laki-laki. Dalam hal mensistemasi tidak ditemukan adanya perbedaan kemampuan antara anak laki-laki dan perempuan. Namun, proporsi gaya kognitif menunjukkan adanya perbedaan individual yang signifikan antara anak laki-laki dan perempuan. Gaya kognitif dominan berempati lebih tinggi pada anak perempuan, yang tersebar pada kategori tipe otak E dan Ekstrim E, sedangkan proporsi gaya kognitif mensistemasi lebih tinggi pada anak laki-laki dengan tipe otak yang tersebar pada kategori Tipe S dan Ekstrim S.  Hasil penelitian ini memberikan bukti adanya faktor biologis bawaan dari autism ditinjau dari jenis kelamin dan menunjukkan kerentanan bawaan anak laki-laki terhadap kondisi autism jika dibandingkan dengan anak perempuan. Kata kunci: Empathizing Quotient (EQ), extreme male brain of autism, jenis kelamin, Systemizing Quotient (SQ)

scholarly journals "The Extreme Male Brain?" Incrementum and the Rhetorical Gendering of Autism

2011 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jordynn Jack
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Service Economy ◽  
Cultural Resources ◽  
Sex And Gender ◽  
Autistic People ◽  
Extreme Male Brain ◽  
Brain Theory ◽  
Women And Girls ◽  
Spectrum Disorders ◽  
And Gender

<p>The rhetorical figure of the <em>incrementum</em>, or scale<em>, </em>can help to account for how autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have been gendered as male, especially in Simon Baron-Cohen&rsquo;s "Extreme Male Brain" theory. The <em>incrementum</em> occurs when female, male, and autistic brains are placed along a scale according to systemizing and empathizing abilities. This double hierarchy reinforces popular beliefs about sex and gender, drawing on the cultural resources of hi-tech culture, the service economy, and geekiness. In so doing, these theories overlook other important aspects of ASD, including alternative theories, the presence of autistic women and girls, and the needs and interests of autistic people themselves.</p>

Testing the Extreme Male Brain Theory of Autism Spectrum Disorder in a Familial Design

2014 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 491-500 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ingeborg Hauth ◽  
Yvette G. E. de Bruijn ◽  
Wouter Staal ◽  
Jan K. Buitelaar ◽  
Nanda N. Rommelse
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Extreme Male Brain ◽  
Brain Theory ◽  
Extreme Male Brain Theory

Autism and Gender

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jordynn Jack
Keyword(s):  
Extreme Male Brain ◽  
The Media ◽  
Brain Theory ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Rhetorical Inquiry ◽  
Gender Influences ◽  
Systematic Thinking ◽  
Extreme Male Brain Theory

The reasons behind the increase in autism diagnoses have become hotly contested in the media as well as within the medical, scholarly, and autistic communities. This book suggests the proliferating number of discussions point to autism as a rhetorical phenomenon that engenders attempts to persuade through arguments, appeals to emotions, and representational strategies. The book focuses on the ways gender influences popular discussion and understanding of autism's causes and effects. It identifies gendered theories like the “refrigerator mother” theory, for example, which blames emotionally distant mothers for autism, and the “extreme male brain” theory, which links autism to the modes of systematic thinking found in male computer geeks. The book's analysis reveals how people employ such highly gendered theories to craft rhetorical narratives around stock characters—fix-it dads, heroic mother warriors rescuing children from autism—that advocate for ends beyond the story itself while also allowing the storyteller to gain authority, understand the disorder, and take part in debates. The book reveals the ways we build narratives around controversial topics while offering new insights into the ways rhetorical inquiry can and does contribute to conversations about gender and disability.

‘You don’t look autistic’: A qualitative exploration of women’s experiences of being the ‘autistic other’

Autism ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 136236132199372
Author(s):  
Kate Seers ◽  
Rachel C Hogg
Keyword(s):  
Lived Experiences ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Social Expectations ◽  
Autism Spectrum Condition ◽  
Women’S Experiences ◽  
Women's Experiences ◽  
Spectrum Condition ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Experiences Of Women

There is currently a paucity of literature exploring the experiences of women on the autism spectrum. It is imperative research is conducted to capture the experiences of women on the autism spectrum and ensure appropriate support is provided to this cohort. Drawing upon a social constructionist framework, this qualitative research study sought to understand how psychological and socio-cultural constructions of autism spectrum condition and gender influence the well-being of women on the autism spectrum. Eight participants engaged in a semi-structured interview, with thematic analysis conducted to demonstrate the impact of gender roles and social expectations on the women’s identity and autism spectrum condition expression. The research highlighted the changing understandings of autism spectrum condition across a woman’s lifespan and the process and impact of resisting hegemonic autism spectrum condition categorisation. The findings demonstrate that social constructions of gender and stereotypical understandings of autism spectrum condition, which prioritise a deficit, medical model, have significant consequences for women’s well-being and subjectivity. The women experienced challenging formative years, but with diagnosis and the evolution and acceptance of their identities, they were able to resist negative narratives of autism spectrum condition, embrace their strengths and develop adaptive coping strategies. It is hoped this article generates insights for societal and clinical recognition to better support women on the autism spectrum. Lay abstract Most autism spectrum condition research addresses the neurological and biological causes of autism spectrum condition, focusing upon deficits associated with autism spectrum condition and behavioural interventions designed to minimise these deficits. Little is known about the lived experiences of adult women on the autism spectrum and how they navigate social expectations around gender, autism spectrum condition and gendered understandings of autism spectrum condition. The lived experiences of eight women on the AS will be shared here, with attention to how gendered expectations influence women’s experiences of autism spectrum condition, their sense of self and well-being. Findings showed these women struggled to reconcile the expectations of others, particularly early in life. The women had difficultly conforming to stereotypical ideals of femininity, yet as they aged, they felt less need to conform, valuing their unique style and behaviours. The women also rejected deficit-oriented descriptions of autism spectrum condition generated by the medical community, preferring to focus on their strengths and unique characteristics. It is hoped this article helps psychologists and the wider community to understand and meet the needs of women on the AS.

scholarly journals Sex differences in eye gaze and symbolic cueing of attention

2005 ◽  
Vol 58 (4) ◽  
pp. 631-650 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew P. Bayliss ◽  
Giuseppe di Pellegrino ◽  
Steven P. Tipper
Keyword(s):  
Normal Population ◽  
Eye Gaze ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Autism Spectrum Quotient ◽  
Exogenous Orienting ◽  
Brain Theory ◽  
Attention Systems ◽  
Symbolic Cues ◽  
Extreme Male Brain Theory ◽  
Gaze Cues

Observing a face with averted eyes results in a reflexive shift of attention to the gazed-at location. Here we present results that show that this effect is weaker in males than in females (Experiment 1). This result is predicted by the ‘extreme male brain’ theory of autism (Baron-Cohen, 2003), which suggests that males in the normal population should display more autism-like traits than females (e.g., poor joint attention). Indeed, participants′ scores on the Autism-Spectrum Quotient (Baron-Cohen, Wheelwright, Stott, Bolton, & Goodyear, 2001) negatively correlated with cueing magnitude. Furthermore, exogenous orienting did not differ between the sexes in two peripheral cueing experiments (Experiments 2a and 2b). However, a final experiment showed that using non-predictive arrows instead of eyes as a central cue also revealed a large gender difference. This demonstrates that reduced orienting from central cues in males generalizes beyond gaze cues. These results show that while peripheral cueing is equivalent in the male and female brains, the attention systems of the two sexes treat noninformative symbolic cues very differently.

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