Assessing Relational Learning Deficits in Perspective-Taking in Children With High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder

Abstract

Perspective-taking, or the ability to demonstrate awareness of informational states in oneself and in others, has been of recent interest in behavioral psychology. This is, in part, a result of a modern behavioral approach to human language and cognition known as Relational Frame Theory, which views perspectivetaking as generalized operant behavior based upon a history of reinforcement for relational responding . Previous lines of research have developed a behavioral protocol for assessing relational learning deficits in perspective-taking and have implicated the lack of perspective-taking as a basis for the social deficits observed in children with autism. However, no empirical investigations have been conducted on relational learning deficits in perspective-taking with autistic populations. The present paper reports 2 experiments that investigated whether children with autism spectrum disorder demonstrated relational learning deficits in a perspective-taking task as compared to their age-matched typicalill developing peers. We also investigated whether accuracy in perspective-taking correlated with scores on standardized instruments commonly used in the assessment of autism spectrum disorder, and whether relational responding in perspective-taking improves following a history of reinforcement for such responding . Results of Experiment 1 demonstrated statistically significant differences in errors as a function of type of relation , while visual inspection revealed that partiCipants with autism spectrum disorder made more errors than typically developing children on 2 of the 3 types of relations examined. Results of Experiment 2 illustrated that a history of reinforced relational responding improved performance on the perspective-taking task.

Establishing a Deictic Relational Repertoire in Young Children

“…Furthermore, as expected theoretically, deictic relations have been shown to be weak in certain clinical populations, including children diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome (Rehfeldt, Dillen, Ziomek, & Kowalchuk, 2007) and adults with an inability to experience pleasure from social interactions, or "social anhedonia" (Villatte, Monestès, McHugh, Freixa i Baqué, & Loas, 2008, 2010a, 2010b.…”

“…This is the first study to evaluate a tabletop training procedure that includes the relational protocol described by McHugh et al (2004), which is probably a more realistic protocol approach than a purely computerized one for many disabled populations. To date, only Rehfeldt et al (2007) have included children with autism in a purely computerized approach. The children involved were very high functioning, and they were able to sit through a lengthy computer presentation of the various items from the relational protocol, but it seems unlikely that this would continue to hold for lower functioning children.…”

“…Rehfeldt et al (2007) found increases across interpersonal, spatial, and temporal deictic relations after presenting two typically developing children already in middle childhood (male 9 yrs 2 mo; female 10 yrs 4 mo) with multiple exemplar training focused on the three complexity levels. This study used children well above the age at which perspective-taking ability is said to appear, however, and it is important to assess whether this approach is viable with younger children.…”

Validación convergente de un auto informe de valores prototípicos del trastorno histriónico de la personalidad.

“…Esta fusión cognitiva es un aspecto de la problemática del cliente que reviste gran atención ya que esta determina la facilidad con la cual este puede tomar perspectiva de sí mismo respecto de su situación y de esta manera avanzar hacia un contexto situacional alternativo más flexible y adaptativo. Esto remarca la pertinencia de trabajar en la psicoterapia a partir del repertorio de valores prototípicos ya que la defusión cognitiva implica darse cuenta de cuán implicado está el cliente con sus sistema de valores, qué elementos del contexto acompañan dicha situación, y cómo puede tomar distancia conceptual y valorativa respecto de los mismos (Rehfeldt, Dillen, Ziomek & Kowalchuk, 2007). Si se cuenta con una guía de valores específicos que puedan verse representados en los distintos ámbitos de la vida y de las relaciones consigo mismo y los demás apuntar hacia nuevas alternativas de valor se hace un ejercicio más orientado, más directivo.…”

Using Film Study to Teach Perspective Taking in High School Students with Autism and Other Social Cognition Challenges

“…However, in response to his or her ongoing exposure to social experiences, the typically developing child naturally (1) comes to understand that others feel and think differently because they are in different situations or have access to different information (i.e., "subjective role taking"), (2) learns to reflect on his or her own behavior and motivation as seen from another's point of view (i.e., "self-reflective role taking"), and (3) is ultimately able to integrate both his or her own point of view and the point of view of another person so that both perspectives can be considered simultaneously (i.e., "mutual role taking"). This learned ability to engage in complex perspective taking appears to play a critical role in the success of social interactions, including cooperative play, reciprocal conversation, and demonstrating empathy [4].…”