SELF-CONSCIOUS EMOTIONS IN AUTISM 1 Exploring the subjective experience and neural correlAtes of self-conscious emotion processing in autistic adolescents: Over-reliAnce on leArned sociAl rules during heightened perspective- tAking demAnds mAy serve as compensAtory strategy for less reflexive mentAlizing KAthryn F. JAnkowski1 & Jennifer H. Pfeifer1 1 Department of Psychology, University of Oregon Corresponding author: Jennifer H. Pfeifer Department of Psychology University of Oregon 1227 University of Oregon Eugene, OR, 97403 541-346-1984
[email protected] SELF-CONSCIOUS EMOTIONS IN AUTISM 2 Abstract Autistic individuals experience a secondary wAve of sociAl cognitive challenges during Adolescence, which impact interpersonal success (Picci & Scherf, 2015). To better understAnd these challenges, we investigated the subjective experience and neural correlAtes of self- conscious emotion (SCE) processing in autistic adolescent mAles compared to age- And IQ- mAtched neurotypicAl (NT) adolescents (ages 11-17). Study I investigated group differences in SCE attributions (the ability to recognize SCEs) and empathic SCEs (the ability/tendency to feel empathic SCEs) and the potentiAl modulAtory role of heightened perspective-tAking (PT) demAnds. Furthermore, Study I explored associAtions between SCE processing, a triAd of sociAl cognitive abilities (self-AwAreness/introspection, perspective-tAking/cognitive empathy, and Affective empathy), and Autistic feAtures. Study II investigated group differences in neural Activation patterns recruited during SCE processing and the potentiAl modulAtory role of heightened PT demAnds. During an MRI scAn, participants completed the Self-Conscious Emotions TAsk (SCET), which feAtured sAlient, ecologicAl video clips of adolescents in a singing competition. Videos represented two factors: emotion (embarrassment, pride) and PT demAnds (low, high). In low PT clips, singers’ emotions mAtched the situational context (singing quality; sing poorly, act embarrassed); in high PT clips, they did not (sing well, act embarrassed).