Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Theory of mind, causal attribution and paranoia in Asperger syndrome
AU - Blackshaw, A J
AU - Kinderman, P
AU - Hare, D J
AU - Hatton, C
PY - 2001/6
Y1 - 2001/6
N2 - Theory of mind (ToM) deficits are central to autistic spectrum disorders, including Asperger syndrome. Research in psychotic disorders has developed a cognitive model of paranoid delusions involving abnormal causal attributions for negative events. Possible aetiologies of these include deficits in social reasoning, specifically ToM. The present study investigated this attributional model of paranoia in Asperger syndrome. Participants diagnosed with Asperger syndrome scored significantly higher on a measure of paranoia and lower on a measure of ToM, compared with the control group. They did not differ in self-concept and causal attributions, contrary to the attributional model of paranoia. A regression analysis highlighted private self-consciousness as the only predictor of paranoia. The theoretical and clinical implications of these findings are discussed.
AB - Theory of mind (ToM) deficits are central to autistic spectrum disorders, including Asperger syndrome. Research in psychotic disorders has developed a cognitive model of paranoid delusions involving abnormal causal attributions for negative events. Possible aetiologies of these include deficits in social reasoning, specifically ToM. The present study investigated this attributional model of paranoia in Asperger syndrome. Participants diagnosed with Asperger syndrome scored significantly higher on a measure of paranoia and lower on a measure of ToM, compared with the control group. They did not differ in self-concept and causal attributions, contrary to the attributional model of paranoia. A regression analysis highlighted private self-consciousness as the only predictor of paranoia. The theoretical and clinical implications of these findings are discussed.
KW - Asperger syndrome
KW - causal attributions
KW - paranoia
KW - theory of mind
KW - SITUATIONAL ATTRIBUTIONS
KW - PERSECUTORY DELUSIONS
KW - SELF-CONSCIOUSNESS
KW - DEPRESSION
KW - MEMORY
KW - SCHIZOPHRENIA
KW - DISCREPANCIES
KW - AUTISM
KW - PEOPLE
KW - MODEL
U2 - 10.1177/1362361301005002005
DO - 10.1177/1362361301005002005
M3 - Journal article
VL - 5
SP - 147
EP - 163
JO - Autism
JF - Autism
SN - 1461-7005
IS - 2
ER -