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Imitation and expression of facial affect in autism

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 October 2008

Katherine A. Loveland ,
Belgin Tunali-Kotoski ,
Deborah A. Pearson ,
Kristin A. Brelsford ,
Juliana Ortegon  and
Richard Chen
Katherine A. Loveland*
Affiliation:
The Center for Human Development Research, University of Texas Medical School at Houston
Belgin Tunali-Kotoski
Affiliation:
The Center for Human Development Research, University of Texas Medical School at Houston
Deborah A. Pearson
Affiliation:
The Center for Human Development Research, University of Texas Medical School at Houston
Kristin A. Brelsford
Affiliation:
The Center for Human Development Research, University of Texas Medical School at Houston
Juliana Ortegon
Affiliation:
The Center for Human Development Research, University of Texas Medical School at Houston
Richard Chen
Affiliation:
The Center for Human Development Research, University of Texas Medical School at Houston
*
Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Katherine A. Loveland, Ph.D., UTMSI, 1300 Moursund, Houston, TX 77030.
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Abstract

This study examined elicited (posed) affective expressions in children, adolescents, and young adults with autism (N = 18) or Down's syndrome (N = 24). Subjects were asked to (a) imitate five modeled expressions (Imitation task) and (b) produce five labeled expressions (Expression task). Subjects with autism produced recognizable expressions in both tasks, but they produced fewer than did subjects with Down's syndrome when target emotions were labeled but not modeled (Expression). Imitation and Expression tasks were equally difficult for subjects with autism, but subjects with Down's syndrome performed better in Expression than in Imitation. In both tasks, the responses of subjects with autism contained many unusual behaviors, such as bizarre expressions and those that looked “mechanical.” Results suggest that producing elicited affective expressions is more difficult for persons with autism than for persons with Down's syndrome of similar chronological age, mental age, and IQ.

Type
Articles
Information
Development and Psychopathology , Volume 6 , Issue 3 , Summer 1994 , pp. 433 - 444
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1994

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