Being versus appearing socially uninterested: Challenging assumptions about social motivation in autism

TLDR

Assumptions that autistic behaviors signal a lack of social interest have shaped research and treatment in ways that may be harmful. The authors aim to challenge this premise by interrogating the assumption, incorporating autistic testimony, exploring alternative explanations, and examining unconventional expressions of social interest. They propose alternative explanations for four behaviors—low eye contact, infrequent pointing, motor stereotypies, and echolalia—to illustrate how these may reflect social motivation rather than disinterest. They argue that the prevailing assumption is contradicted by autistic testimony and that reexamining it is essential for a more accurate, humane, and useful science of autism.

Abstract

Abstract Progress in psychological science can be limited by a number of factors, not least of which are the starting assumptions of scientists themselves. We believe that some influential accounts of autism rest on a questionable assumption that many of its behavioral characteristics indicate a lack of social interest – an assumption that is flatly contradicted by the testimony of many autistic people themselves. In this article, we challenge this assumption by describing alternative explanations for four such behaviors: (a) low levels of eye contact, (b) infrequent pointing, (c) motor stereotypies, and (d) echolalia. The assumption that autistic people's unusual behaviors indicate diminished social motivation has had profound and often negative effects on the ways they are studied and treated. We argue that understanding and supporting autistic individuals will require interrogating this assumption, taking autistic testimony seriously, considering alternative explanations for unusual behaviors, and investigating unconventional – even idiosyncratic – ways in which autistic individuals may express their social interest. These steps are crucial, we believe, for creating a more accurate, humane, and useful science of autism.