Autistic adults weren't more likely to report lying in everyday situations than non-autistic adults (p - 0.259).
Age and theory of mind predicted fewer lies from non-autistic adults, but not autistics adults.
Lie acceptability predicted more lies in both groups.
@ByrdNick The "theory of mind" theory related to autism research has always been very weak. Belief in the binding force of social norms for ones conduct is something else entirely. Understanding the economy of discourses is a skill, not a trait.
I've heard that the ToM theory of autism has been underwhelming, but I do not know all of the science. My limited experience with people who have been diagnosed as on the spectrum does not make me think ToM is the primary (or even indirect) differentiator. Perhaps the hypothesis was based on an unrepresentative subset of interactions with people diagnosed as being on the spectrum). I don't know enough to offer more than a guess.
Thanks for engaging, @tg9541!
@ByrdNick sure - it doesn't help that a whole lot of non-normal sensor-integration deficiencies sail under the flag of "autistic spectrum". One of the features of being on it, given one can talk at all, is a certain aptitude for synthetic bottom-up hypothesis making. Why? If one can't see the whole top-down (no matter what the theory is) then one has to create a second sight. That may take decades. As social interactions can be overwhelming, avoidance will lead to finding a more technical niche.
@ByrdNick I have to admit, I wasn’t fine even bending the truth for a joke until I got my autism diagnosis at 35. After that I’ve been fine with ”white lies”, bullshtting when joking and also have a lot of more understanding attitude towards lying and I can even lie myself if needed. Understanding why my ethics& were so rigid helped me to loosen up and don’t see my whole personality through how honest I am in everything.
Hi @Emstitch. Thanks for sharing your experience. I know at least one other person with a midlife diagnosis that prompted them to consider whether their moral judgments were rigid and how such rigidity could be related to the dianosis.
I'm not up on all of the relevant research about it, but it seems ripe for sceintific inquiry. I assume the people studying this know much more than I do about the relationship between indicators of autism and moral judgments/decisions.
Thanks for engaging!
@ByrdNick for me it was in many ways lifechanging diagnosis and made me question all my views of life and seeing them through completely different lens, pretty much overnight. Before the diagnosis nobody could get me lie or usually even bend the truth for a joke. If I would’ve been in that research at 34 it would’ve gone in a completely different direction than after 35 with the diagnosis .
Great point, @Emstitch. This is partly why I am glad to see age included in the analysis!
Experiences like yours suggest that researchers should also control for (a) whether one has been diagnosed and (b) age of diagnosis.
The data may reveal that your experience is somewhat common. It might even persuade more people to support testing/diagnosis.