ERIC Number: EJ1473552
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Jun
Pages: 15
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1362-3613
EISSN: EISSN-1461-7005
Available Date: 0000-00-00
Understanding Decision-Making in Autistic Children and Adolescents: Insights from Deliberative Processes and Behavioral Economic Paradigms
Farah Ghosn1,2,3; Manuel Perea2,4; Marta Lizarán1,2; Melanie Labusch2; Alba Moreno-Giménez1,2; Rosa Sahuquillo-Leal2; Belén Almansa1,2; Julia Buesa1,2,5; Laura Campos1,2,5; Juan A. Pérez2; Ana García-Blanco1,2,5
Autism: The International Journal of Research and Practice, v29 n6 p1597-1611 2025
Prior research has shown conflicting findings on decision-making differences between autistic and non-autistic individuals. To address this issue, we applied the Ultimatum and Dictator Games to examine explicit measures (probability of endorsing monetary offers) and implicit measures (response times) associated with decision-making behaviors. By analyzing response times, we aimed to determine whether decisions were intuitive (rapid) or deliberative (slower) reasoning processes. In addition, we administered an executive functions questionnaire to explore how cognitive skills correlate with implicit and explicit decision-making behaviors. The study included 24 autistic and 24 non-autistic children and adolescents aged 8-18 years. Results showed that autistic participants were less likely to propose selfish offers in the Dictator Game than their non-autistic peers. Among autistic participants, this lower tendency to propose selfish offers correlated with better executive function skills. Regarding response times, autistic participants exhibited slower responses than non-autistic participants when accepting and proposing selfish offers in both games. These findings reveal differences in selfish offer tendencies and deliberative reasoning among participants, suggesting that slower decision-making in autistic participants reflects a focus on fairness and sociomoral reasoning. Future research can explore how this reasoning style influences social interactions in various scenarios.
Descriptors: Decision Making, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Children, Adolescents, Reaction Time, Cognitive Processes, Check Lists, Individual Characteristics, Probability, Economic Factors, Games
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Assessments and Surveys: Child Behavior Checklist; Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule; Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: 1Health Research Institute La Fe, Spain; 2University of Valencia, Spain; 3University of London, United Kingdom; 4Universidad Nebrija, Spain; 5University and Polytechnic Hospital La Fe, Spain