Have you wondered where the claim that autistic people lack empathy came from?
The “jellyfish” study (2011) was influential in this, as it concluded that autistic people lacked Theory of Mind & capacity for moral reasoning.
medicalxpress.com/news/2011-01…
In the fictional scenario given to participants, Janet tells a friend it’s safe to swim with jellyfish. She believes they’re harmless. The friend is stung and dies.
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#Autism #Empathy #Neurodiversity #Psychology #TheoryofMind #ActuallyAutistic
Neuroscientists find evidence that autistic patients have trouble understanding others' intentions
(PhysOrg.com) -- A study from MIT neuroscientists reveals that high-functioning autistic adults appear to have trouble using theory of mind to make moral judgments in certain situations.Anne Trafton (Medical Xpress)
This entry was edited (1 week ago)
Katy Elphinstone
in reply to Katy Elphinstone • • •Autistic participants were more likely than non-autistic participants to say Janet was to blame, despite her good intentions.
This was interpreted as evidence of faulty moral reasoning or reduced empathy.
But that conclusion rests on three errors of logic built into the task itself, and not on evidence that autistic people care less about others.
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