Journal Article

Autistic Traits and Prosocial Behaviour in the General Population: Test of the Mediating Effects of Trait Empathy and State Empathic Concern

Zhao, Xudong, Li, Xiujun, Shi, Wendian, Song, Youming

2019

Overview

Although the core characteristics associated with autistic traits are impaired social interactions, there are few studies examining how autistic traits translate into prosocial behaviour in daily life. The current study explored the effect of autistic traits on prosocial behaviour and the mediating role of multimodal empathy (trait empathy and state empathic concern). The results showed that autistic traits reduced prosocial behaviour directly and indirectly through complex mediation by multimodal empathy. The findings revealed the internal mechanism of autistic traits impeding prosocial behaviour and expanded our understandings of social behaviour in autism spectrum conditions (ASCs) and autistic traits in the general population. Furthermore, the results have implications for social adaptability interventions for individuals with ASCs and high levels of autistic traits.

• Publisher: Springer US,Springer,Springer Nature B.V
• Subject: Activities of daily living / Adaptability / Adolescent / Adult / Analysis / Autism / Autistic Disorder - epidemiology / Autistic Disorder - psychology / Behavior / Behavioral Science and Psychology / Child and School Psychology / Cognitive Development / Cognitive Processes / Cognitive Psychology / College Science / Diagnosis / Elementary school teachers / Emotional Response / Emotions / Empathy / Everyday life / Female / Helping behavior / Humans / Interpersonal Relationship / Male / Mediation / Multimodality / Neurosciences / Pediatrics / Personality / Perspective Taking / Pervasive Developmental Disorders / Phenotype / Physical Health / Prosocial Behavior / Psychological Patterns / Psychology / Public Health / S.I. : Empathy in Autism / Social Behavior / Social Characteristics / Social Desirability / Social interaction / Social interactions