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Steinberg SN, Tedla NB, Hecht E, Robins DL, King TZ. White matter pathways associated with empathy in females: A DTI investigation. Brain Cogn 2022; 162:105902. [PMID: 36007350 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2022.105902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2022] [Revised: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Empathy is a component of social cognition that allows us to understand, perceive, experience, and respond to the emotional state of others. In this study, we seek to build on previous research that suggests that sex and hormone levels may impact white matter microstructure. These white matter microstructural differences may influence social cognition. We examine the fractional anisotropy (FA) of white matter pathways associated with the complex human process of empathy in healthy young adult females during the self-reported luteal phase of their menstrual cycle. We used tract-based spatial statistics to perform statistical comparisons of FA and conducted multiple linear regression analysis to examine the strength of association between white matter FA and scores on the Empathy Quotient (EQ), a self-report questionnaire in which individuals report how much they agree or disagree with 60 statements pertaining to their empathic tendencies. Results identified a significant negative relationship between EQ scores and FA within five clusters of white matter: in the left forceps minor/body of the corpus callosum, left corticospinal tract, intraparietal sulcus/primary somatosensory cortex, superior longitudinal fasciculus, and right inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus/forceps minor. These consistent findings across clusters suggest that lower self-reported empathy is related to higher FA across healthy young females in specific white matter regions during the menstrual luteal phase. Future research should seek to examine if self-reported empathy varies across the menstrual cycle, using blood samples to confirm cycle phase and hormone levels.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Neami B Tedla
- Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30302, USA
| | - Erin Hecht
- Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30302, USA
| | - Diana L Robins
- Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30302, USA
| | - Tricia Z King
- Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30302, USA; Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30302, USA.
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Klein C, Miczuga T, Kost MS, Röring H, Jarczok TA, Bast N, Thiemann U, Fleischhaker C, Tebartz Van Elst L, Riedel A, Biscaldi M. An German Short-Version of the "Sensory Perception Quotient" for Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:781409. [PMID: 35774088 PMCID: PMC9238434 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.781409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Sensory features in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have received increasing interest in clinical work and research during the recent years. With the Sensory Perception Quotient (SPQ), Tavasolli and colleagues have produced a self-rating scale for adults with ASD that measures sensory hyper-sensitivity in different sensory modalities, without also tapping cognitive or motivational aspects that precede or follow autistic sensory experiences. Here, we present the results of a translation of the SPQ to German and its short version as well as their validation in samples of autistic or neuro-typical participants. We, furthermore, present the psychometric properties and validities of Tavasolli's original SPQ-short version as well as an alternative short version based on different psychometric item-selection criteria. We can show here that our alternative SPQ-short version, overlapping with the original short-version in 61% of its items, exhibits superior reliabilities, reasonable concurrent validities with other related measures. It, furthermore, exhibits excellent differentiation between autistic and non-autistic samples, underscoring its utility as a screening instrument in research and a clinical instrument to supplement the ASD diagnostic process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christoph Klein
- Clinic for Psychiatry, Psychosomatics und Psychotherapy in Children Adolescents, Medical Faculty, University Hospital Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.,Clinic for Psychiatry, Psychosomatics und Psychotherapy in Children and Adolescents, Medical Faculty, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany.,Second Psychiatry Department, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Medical School, University General Hospital "ATTIKON, " Athens, Greece
| | - Teresa Miczuga
- Clinic for Psychiatry, Psychosomatics und Psychotherapy in Children Adolescents, Medical Faculty, University Hospital Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Marie Sophie Kost
- Clinic for Psychiatry, Psychosomatics und Psychotherapy in Children Adolescents, Medical Faculty, University Hospital Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Hannah Röring
- Clinic for Psychiatry, Psychosomatics und Psychotherapy in Children Adolescents, Medical Faculty, University Hospital Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Tomasz A Jarczok
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Autism Research and Intervention Center of Excellence, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe-University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Nico Bast
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Autism Research and Intervention Center of Excellence, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe-University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Ulf Thiemann
- Clinic for Psychiatry, Psychosomatics und Psychotherapy in Children and Adolescents, Medical Faculty, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany.,Clinic for Psychiatry, Psychosomatics und Psychotherapy in Children and Adolescents, LVR Hospital, Bonn, Germany
| | - Christian Fleischhaker
- Clinic for Psychiatry, Psychosomatics und Psychotherapy in Children Adolescents, Medical Faculty, University Hospital Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Ludger Tebartz Van Elst
- Clinic for Psychiatry und Psychotherapy, Medical Faculty, University Hospital Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Andreas Riedel
- Clinic for Psychiatry und Psychotherapy, Medical Faculty, University Hospital Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.,Clinic for Psychiatry, Medical Faculty, University of Luzern, Lucerne, Switzerland
| | - Monica Biscaldi
- Clinic for Psychiatry, Psychosomatics und Psychotherapy in Children Adolescents, Medical Faculty, University Hospital Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
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Pehlivanidis A, Tasios K, Papanikolaou K, Douzenis A, Michopoulos I. Validation of the Empathy Quotient (EQ) - Greek version. Psychiatriki 2021; 32:43-50. [PMID: 33759808 DOI: 10.22365/jpsych.2021.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
The original English language Empathy Quotient (EQ) is a self-reporting questionnaire that measures the construct of empathy in adults of normal intelligence. The EQ is sensitive to gender, and neurodevelopmental disorders. The EQ has been translated to many languages all over the world. The EQ - Greek version may be available through open access from www.autismresearchcentre.com. Aim of the present study was to validate the EQ- Greek version.The study took place in the 1st and 2nd Departments of Psychiatry of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), "Eginition" and "Attikon" Hospitals respectively, and in the Korydallos Prison Psychiatric Clinic in Athens. Two groups completed the original 60 items version. One group consisted of general population and volunteer students from post graduate training programs (normal control group, N= 127) and the other group of patients recruited from the Adult Neurodevelopmental Disorders Unit of the 1st Department of Psychiatry of NKUA, the outpatients' clinic of the 2nd Department of Psychiatry of NKUA and the Korydallos Prison Psychiatric Clinic (patient group, N=196). Three versions of the EQ were examined: the EQ-40, EQ-28 and EQ-15. All versions showed very good internal validity: Cronbach's a value was 0.902, 0.892 and 0.793 respectively. They all showed good test-retest variability: the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient was 0.928, 0.924 and 0.855 respectively. Concurrent validity examined by the correlation analysis with the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) showed non-significant correlations between the EQ and the IRI. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) indicated a one-factor structure for the three versions. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) for the one-factor structure showed a good fit for all the three versions. CFA for the three-factor structures (Cognitive Empathy, Emotional Empathy, Social Skills) showed also a good fit for EQ-28 and the EQ-15. When the EQ-40 was used as a measure of empathy in a single dimension in adults, the EQ discriminated the normal control group from the patients' group. The mean EQ score for the total sample was 35.84 with the lowest scoring being among Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) patients. As expected, females scored higher than males (p<0.001). To conclude, the Greek version of EQ showed good psychometric properties and could serve as a useful tool for clinicians to assess empathy in clinical populations and especially in subjects with ASD and other neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Artemios Pehlivanidis
- First Department of Psychiatry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Eginition Hospital
| | - Konstantinos Tasios
- Second Department of Psychiatry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, «Attikon» Hospital
| | - Katerina Papanikolaou
- Department of Child Psychiatry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Agia Sophia Children's Hospital
| | - Athanasios Douzenis
- Second Department of Psychiatry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, «Attikon» Hospital
| | - Ioannis Michopoulos
- Second Department of Psychiatry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, «Attikon» Hospital
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Conson M, Senese VP, Baiano C, Zappullo I, Warrier V, Salzano S, Positano M, Baron-Cohen S. The effects of autistic traits and academic degree on visuospatial abilities. Cogn Process 2019; 21:127-140. [PMID: 31758361 DOI: 10.1007/s10339-019-00941-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2019] [Accepted: 11/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
In the present study, we were interested to investigate how autistic traits (including systemizing and empathy) and academic degree influence individuals' visuospatial abilities. To this end, 352 university students completed the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ), the Empathy Quotient, the Systemizing Quotient (SQ) and visuospatial tests measuring figure disembedding and mental rotation of two-dimensional figures. Engineering-design students (architecture and engineering) were the most accurate in disembedding and mentally rotating figures, followed by students of physical sciences (computer science, chemistry, physics, etc.) and fact-based humanities (languages, classics, law); biological (psychology and neuroscience, etc.) and systems-based social scientists (economics and commerce) were the least accurate. Engineering-design students also showed higher SQ scores with respect to the other four academic degree subjects, with students of biological sciences showing lower SQ scores. Importantly, results from a path analysis revealed that SQ (but not AQ) exerted an indirect effect on figure disembedding and mental rotations through the influence of the academic degree. Thus, the present findings reveal shady differences in systemizing degree and visuospatial performance within systemizing-based degree subjects. Implications for education are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Massimiliano Conson
- Developmental Neuropsychology Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Viale Ellittico 31, 81100, Caserta, Italy.
| | - Vincenzo Paolo Senese
- Developmental Neuropsychology Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Viale Ellittico 31, 81100, Caserta, Italy
| | - Chiara Baiano
- Developmental Neuropsychology Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Viale Ellittico 31, 81100, Caserta, Italy
| | - Isa Zappullo
- Developmental Neuropsychology Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Viale Ellittico 31, 81100, Caserta, Italy
| | - Varun Warrier
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Sara Salzano
- Cognitive-Behavioral School of Psychotherapy "Serapide SPEE", Naples, Italy
| | - Monica Positano
- Developmental Neuropsychology Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Viale Ellittico 31, 81100, Caserta, Italy
| | - Simon Baron-Cohen
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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Zhao Q, Neumann DL, Cao Y, Baron-Cohen S, Yan C, Chan RCK, Shum DHK. Culture-Sex Interaction and the Self-Report Empathy in Australians and Mainland Chinese. Front Psychol 2019; 10:396. [PMID: 30914986 PMCID: PMC6422933 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2018] [Accepted: 02/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Empathy is the ability to understand and share other people's emotions. Researchers have debated whether Westerners and Asians differ in their self-report empathy. This study aimed to replicate a previously reported culture-sex interaction in self-report empathy using Australian and Mainland Chinese participants, to investigate the cultural differences in self-report empathy in each sex group, and to verify the moderated mediating effects of three empathy-related traits (i.e., independent self-construal, interdependent self-construal, and personal distress) on the cultural differences in self-report empathy in both sex groups. In this study, scores on two self-report questionnaires of empathy, namely, the Empathy Quotient (EQ) and the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI), were compared between 196 Australian Caucasian (101 males) and 211 Mainland Chinese (59 males) university students. Results first confirmed the significant culture-sex interaction and illustrated that the cultural differences in empathy scores were significant only for female (i.e., Australian females had higher scores than Mainland Chinese females) but not for male participants. Furthermore, results of moderated mediation analyses indicated that higher self-report empathy in both females and males was related to higher interdependent self-construal (exhibited by Mainland Chinese) and less personal distress (exhibited by Australians), and particularly in females, also related to higher independent self-construal (exhibited by Australian females). The current study is one of few studies that suggest cultural differences in empathy are dependent on the sex of the participant. Moreover, the current findings have added new insights into the explanation of cultural differences in empathy using personal distress and self-construal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing Zhao
- School of Applied Psychology, Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - David L. Neumann
- School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia
| | - Yuan Cao
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Simon Baron-Cohen
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Chao Yan
- Ministry of Education, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Raymond C. K. Chan
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - David H. K. Shum
- School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Hong Kong
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6
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Sindermann C, Cooper A, Montag C. Empathy, Autistic Tendencies, and Systemizing Tendencies-Relationships Between Standard Self-Report Measures. Front Psychiatry 2019; 10:307. [PMID: 31143133 PMCID: PMC6522547 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2019] [Accepted: 04/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to investigate associations between four highly used self-report measures assessing empathy (measured as both a unidimensional and multidimensional construct), autistic tendencies, and systemizing tendencies. Participants in this study completed the following self-report measures: The Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) and the Empathy Quotient (EQ) to measure empathy, and the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) and the Systemizing Quotient-Revised (SQ-R) to assess autistic and systemizing tendencies, respectively. The final sample consisted of N = 1,098 participants (304 males) without a diagnosed autism spectrum disorder, most of whom were university students. The IRI scale "Perspective Taking" and the EQ were negatively related to the AQ in male and female participants, while the IRI scale "Empathic Concern" was negatively related to the AQ in females only. Moreover, the AQ was positively related to the SQ-R in females only. Lastly, the SQ-R and a number of the empathy scales were significantly associated: For example and surprisingly, the EQ correlated weakly and positively with the SQ-R in both male and female participants. The results from this study illustrate how standard self-report measures of empathy, autistic tendencies, and systemizing tendencies are associated with each other in a large sample not diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. Additionally, some potential gender-specific effects are revealed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cornelia Sindermann
- Department of Molecular Psychology, Institute of Psychology and Education, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Andrew Cooper
- Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Christian Montag
- Department of Molecular Psychology, Institute of Psychology and Education, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
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Shafiei M, Lai MC, Memari AH, Mirfazeli FS, Zarei S, Moshayedi P, Kordi R. Factor Structure and Psychometric Properties of the Farsi Versions of Empathy and Systemizing Quotient: Short Forms. Iran J Psychiatry 2018; 13:254-263. [PMID: 30627199 PMCID: PMC6320383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Objective: We aimed to examine the validity and reliability of the empathy quotient (EQ) and systemizing quotient (SQ) in a Farsi-speaking population. Method : This study explores the factor structure and psychometric properties of the Farsi translations of the 22-item version of EQ and the 25-item version of SQ among 542 young university students. Results: Applying a cross-validation approach, a 14-item two-factor model and a 15-item four-factor model for the Farsi translations of the short versions of EQ and SQ, respectively, were extracted from the exploratory dataset using exploratory factor analysis (EFA). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) on the validation dataset confirmed the factor structures identified by EFA. In addition, acceptable internal consistency and test-retest reliability were demonstrated for the Farsi translations of the 14-item two-factor EQ model and the 15-item four-factor SQ model. Conclusion: The results suggested further evidence in favor of the multi-factorial constructs of the EQ and SQ and validity and reliability of the scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masih Shafiei
- Sports Medicine Research Center, Neuroscience Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Department of Linguistics, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Meng Chuan Lai
- Child and Youth Mental Health Collaborative at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and The Hospital for Sick Children, and Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada. ,Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.,Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Amir Hossein Memari
- Sports Medicine Research Center, Neuroscience Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Corresponding Author: Address: Sports Medicine Research Center, Neuroscience Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, No. 7, Al-e-Ahmad Highway, P.O. Box:14395-578, Tehran, Iran. Tel: 98-2188630227/8, Fax: 98-2188003539,
| | | | - Sahar Zarei
- Sports Medicine Research Center, Neuroscience Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Pouria Moshayedi
- Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, USA
| | - Ramin Kordi
- Sports Medicine Research Center, Neuroscience Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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Nasr Esfahani F, Hakim Shooshtari M, Shirmohammadi Sosfadi R, Saeed F, Jalai F, Farsham A, Bidaki R. Internalizing and Externalizing Problems, Empathy Quotient, and Systemizing Quotient in 4 to 11 Years-Old Siblings of Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder Compared to Control Group. Iran J Psychiatry 2018; 13:191-199. [PMID: 30319702 PMCID: PMC6178333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Objective: This study was conducted to recognize the problems of living with a sibling with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) to improve their quality of life. Method : A total of 30 participants were selected among the 4-to11- year-old siblings of children who had referred to Tehran Psychiatric Institute due to autism spectrum disorder. For the control group, 30 children aged 4 to11years old who were the siblings of patients with chronic diseases referring to Pediatric Clinic of Rasoul-e Akram (PBUH) hospital were selected. Gilliam Autism Rating Scale-Second Edition (GARS-2) was filled out for patients and siblings participating in the study and Child Behavior Checklist was completed by their parents. Results: The mean age of the patients in this study was 4.46 ± 9.66 years (range: 1.5-22 years), and the mean age in the healthy children was 2.54 ± 8.18 years (range: 4-11 years). The mean scores of anxiety/depression, withdrawn/depressed, somatic complaints, social problems, thought problems, attention problems, and rule-breaking behavior subscale of CBCL (Child Behavior Checklist) were not significantly different between groups. Aggressive behavior was the only subscale that showed such difference (p = 0.008). Externalizing problems in children who had siblings with ASD was higher than children who had siblings with physical illness. In a group in which a sibling had ASD, sisters were more anxious/ depressed than brothers. Conclusion: Due to various psychological and social problems that siblings of children with ASD experience throughout their life, studying their psychological problems to improve their quality of life seems to be of paramount importance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farnaz Nasr Esfahani
- Mental Health Research Center, Tehran Institute of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medicine Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Mitra Hakim Shooshtari
- Mental Health Research Center, Tehran Institute of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medicine Sciences, Tehran, Iran. ,Corresponding Author: Address: Mental Health Research Center, Tehran Institute of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medicine Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Tel: 98-2166509024, Fax: 98-2166506853,
| | | | - Fahimeh Saeed
- Mental Health Research Center, Tehran Institute of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medicine Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | | | - Aida Farsham
- Clinical Psychology, Day Center in Roozbeh Hospital, Tehran University of Medicine Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Reza Bidaki
- Department of Psychiatry, Research Center of Addiction and Behavioral Sciences, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medicine Sciences, Yazd, Iran.,Diabetes Research Center, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medicine Sciences, Yazd, Iran
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Hasegawa C, Kikuchi M, Yoshimura Y, Hiraishi H, Munesue T, Nakatani H, Higashida H, Asada M, Oi M, Minabe Y. Broader autism phenotype in mothers predicts social responsiveness in young children with autism spectrum disorders. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2015; 69:136-44. [PMID: 24902617 DOI: 10.1111/pcn.12210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2014] [Revised: 04/16/2014] [Accepted: 06/02/2014] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
AIMS The aim of this study was to identify phenotypes in mothers and fathers that are specifically associated with disturbances in reciprocal social interactions and communication in their young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in a Japanese sample. METHODS Autistic traits in parents were evaluated using the Autism-spectrum Quotient (AQ), the Empathy Quotient (EQ) and the Systemizing Quotient (SQ) in 88 parents (44 mothers and corresponding fathers) of children with ASD and in 60 parents (30 mothers and corresponding fathers) of typically developing (TD) children. For the measurement of autistic traits in children, we employed the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS). RESULTS In two of the five AQ subscales (social skills and communication), the parents of ASD children scored significantly higher than did the parents of TD children, regardless of whether the parent was a mother or a father. In addition, in mothers of ASD children, there were significant positive correlations between two of the five AQ subscales (attention-switching and communication) and the SRS T-score in their children. CONCLUSIONS This is the first study to demonstrate that the social skills and communication subscales in the AQ are more sensitive as autism traits in a Japanese sample and to demonstrate that some autistic traits in mothers are specifically associated with disturbances in the social ability of their young children with ASD, as measured by the SRS score. Further study is necessary to determine whether these results were caused by genetic or environmental factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiaki Hasegawa
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE The Empathy Quotient (EQ) is a self-reported test developed by Baron-Cohen et al. (2004) to measure the cognitive and affective aspects of empathy. The purpose of this study was to develop a Korean version of EQ and to establish its psychometric properties based on a representative Korean sample. METHODS The Korean version of EQ and its correspondence with another popular measure of empathy, the Korean version of the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI), were evaluated in a sample of 478 volunteers (156 men, 322 women; mean age, 27.2 years). A test-retest study was conducted at 1 month on a selected sample of 20 subjects from the original sample. Correlation and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted. RESULTS The test-retest reliability was good, and the internal consistency was acceptable (Cronbach's alpha=0.78). Positive correlations were found between the EQ and three subfactors of the IRI, perspective taking, empathic concern, and fantasy, and the total EQ score was negatively correlated with the personal distress subscale. The confirmatory analyses suggested that the three-factor structure offered a good fit to the data. CONCLUSION These findings support the reliability and validity of the Korean version of the EQ.
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Affiliation(s)
- JuHee Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Kyungpook National University School of Medicine, Daegu, Korea
| | - Seung Jae Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, Kyungpook National University School of Medicine, Daegu, Korea
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