Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), including those who otherwise require less support, face severe difficulties in everyday social interactions. Research in this area has primarily focused on identifying the cognitive and neurological differences that contribute to these social impairments, but social interaction by definition involves more than one person and social difficulties may arise not just from people with ASD themselves, but also from the perceptions, judgments, and social decisions made by those around them. Here, across three studies, we find that first impressions of individuals with ASD made from thin slices of real-world social behavior by typically-developing observers are not only far less favorable across a range of trait judgments compared to controls, but also are associated with reduced intentions to pursue social interaction. These patterns are remarkably robust, occur within seconds, do not change with increased exposure, and persist across both child and adult age groups. However, these biases disappear when impressions are based on conversational content lacking audio-visual cues, suggesting that style, not substance, drives negative impressions of ASD. Collectively, these findings advocate for a broader perspective of social difficulties in ASD that considers both the individual’s impairments and the biases of potential social partners.

  • Ildsaye [they/them]@hexbear.net
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    8 days ago

    I wonder whether this would persist in a classless society. Neurotypicals are highly attuned to dominance hierarchies, so we might suddenly be worthy of being understood in their eyes if there was no eugenics structure for them to protect their investment in.

      • Ildsaye [they/them]@hexbear.net
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        8 days ago

        The classlessness is what will give them the breathing room to reexamine their first reaction and personally grow like at the end of a TNG episode. Likewise we NDs would be less awkward because less shunned and traumatized in our development.

        My hypothesis is that the neurotypicals’ miserliness with their curiosity and hypervigilance around hierarchy is massively inflamed by the pressures capital places on them, and the stubborn snap judgments are the honed adaptation of a depleted and degraded creature. I believe staying weirdly judgmental and incurious in a classless society, one that isn’t marinating in capitalism’s nonstop threats and scarcities, would itself become a greater faux pas.

      • BeanisBrain [he/him, they/them]@hexbear.netOPM
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        8 days ago

        On the plus side, in such a future you wouldn’t have to worry about those negative reactions resulting in you becoming homeless, starving, and without medical care because your dickhead manager fired you for “not being a team player”

    • BironyPoisoned [none/use name]@hexbear.net
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      8 days ago

      Bullying exists and has existed in all classes, cultures, histories, and societies. Humans naturally judge others, even if it’s unconscious. The ND will always be hated, even in a classless society.

      Some people are born with facial structure that 95% of people will instinctually find attractive. Some people are born with the opposite and will be hated for the crime of existing.

      • Le_Wokisme [they/them, undecided]@hexbear.net
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        8 days ago

        Some people are born with facial structure that 95% of people

        this is highly regionalized and we could remove much of the globalizing influence of media dominance. Western standards of beauty have changed drastically since the 90s and what was “in” then was very different from the 1950s

        • BironyPoisoned [none/use name]@hexbear.net
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          8 days ago

          No society or region has ever found asymmetric faces attractive. There is always minor variances of preferences, no one denies that. But in no world will someone considered horrifically ugly be considered a catch elsewhere.

          Just another person justifying their hatred because they don’t want to admit their biases.

          • TreadOnMe [none/use name]@hexbear.net
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            8 days ago

            And you are just looking for another excuse to justify your depression and misanthropy. See how easy this game is to play?

            Don’t just accuse people of operating under bad faith, unless you, yourself want to be accused of it.

            Nothing they said was wrong. And you aren’t wrong either. However, we don’t know exactly what a future industrialized classless society will look or act like, and assuming data from our current societies is exactly the same kind of thin-slice bullshit people in this thread are accusing NT people of doing.

            The fact of the matter is that in archeological evidence, we have evidence for horrifically maimed or disabled people being well cared for even in hunter gatherer societies. We also have evidence of certain societies practicing the kind of mass cannibalism that would sell well in a Victorian drama. It’s a mixed bag.

            Humans are extremely complex social creatures who both manipulate, and are manipulated by, their environment. This means that reckless optimism or pessimism about ‘human nature’ is entirely unwarranted.

            • BironyPoisoned [none/use name]@hexbear.net
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              7 days ago

              Don’t just accuse people of operating under bad faith, unless you, yourself want to be accused of it.

              I don’t care what you accuse me of, I care about what best reflects current reality.

              However, we don’t know exactly what a future industrialized classless society will look or act like,

              I think all of recorded history is enough of a time slice to make a best guess. Your comment amounts to nothing more than hopeful optimism when everything we have says otherwise.

              we have evidence for horrifically maimed or disabled people being well cared for even in hunter gatherer societies.

              “Stop complaining about people you meet thinking you’re less of a person for being ugly! Your family doesn’t let you starve to death so actually we’re good people.” You have no idea how these people were treated beyond their continued survival. At best, you can say that family and friends are willing to overlook stuff like this. But that doesn’t change the fact that every new person you meant instinctually judges you as lesser.

          • Le_Wokisme [they/them, undecided]@hexbear.net
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            8 days ago

            i’m ND but ok. asymmetrical hair has been popular at various times, no reason that couldn’t expand to faces in a better society not dominated by american capitalist media.

            Not the best group to emulate but fencing scars used to be desirable among aristocrats.