ArticleJournal of bioethical inquiry2012
The extreme male brain theory of autism and the potential adverse effects for boys and girls with autism.
Article in Journal of bioethical inquiry, 2012. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 18 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
18 citing papers in PubMed, 72 citations in OpenAlex.
- Research by autistic researchers: an "insider's view" into autism. The autistic way of being.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2025Article
- Examining the mental health symptoms of neurodivergent individuals across demographic and identity factors: a quantitative analysis.Frontiers in psychology · 2025Article
- Spontaneous instrumental approach-avoidance learning in social contexts in autism.Molecular autism · 2024Article
- Gender bias in autism screening: measurement invariance of different model frameworks of the Autism Spectrum Quotient.BJPsych open · 2023Article
- Ten simple rules for socially responsible science.PLoS computational biology · 2023Article
- Empathy and a Personalised Approach in Autism.Journal of autism and developmental disorders · 2023Article
- Autism, thy name is man: Exploring implicit and explicit gender bias in autism perceptions.PloS one · 2023Article
- Maternal androgens and autism spectrum disorder in the MARBLES prospective cohort study.Research in autism spectrum disorders · 2022Article
- Autism Through the Ages: A Mixed Methods Approach to Understanding How Age and Age of Diagnosis Affect Quality of Life.Journal of autism and developmental disorders · 2022Article
- Camouflaging Intent, First Impressions, and Age of ASC Diagnosis in Autistic Men and Women.Journal of autism and developmental disorders · 2022Article
- Associations of Maternal Androgen-Related Conditions With Risk of Autism Spectrum Disorder in Progeny and Mediation by Cardiovascular, Metabolic, and Fertility Factors.American journal of epidemiology · 2021Article
- Congenital Abnormalities of the Male Reproductive System and Risk of Autism Spectrum Disorders.American journal of epidemiology · 2018Article
- Chinese Norms for the Autism Spectrum Rating Scale.Neuroscience bulletin · 2017Article
- Measurement in saliva from neurotypical adults of biomarkers pertinent to autism spectrum disorders.Future science OA · 2015Article
- Promoting peer acceptance of females with higher-functioning autism in a mainstream education setting: a replication and extension of the effects of an autism anti-stigma program.Journal of autism and developmental disorders · 2014Article
- Being a girl in a boys' world: investigating the experiences of girls with autism spectrum disorders during adolescence.Journal of autism and developmental disorders · 2014Article
- Article
- Sex/Gender Differences in Screening for Autism Spectrum Disorder: Implications for Evidence-Based Assessment.Journal of clinical child and adolescent psychology : the official journal for the Society of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, American Psychological Association, Division 53Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
Autism, typically described as a spectrum neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impairments in verbal ability and social reciprocity as well as obsessive or repetitious behaviours, is currently thought to markedly affect more males than females. Not surprisingly, this encourages a gendered understanding of the Autism Spectrum. Simon Baron-Cohen, a prominent authority in the field of autism research, characterizes the male brain type as biased toward systemizing. In contrast, the female brain type is understood to be biased toward empathizing. Since persons with autism are characterized as hyper-systemizers and hypo-empathizers, Baron-Cohen suggests that, whether they are male or female, most possess an "extreme male brain profile." We argue that Baron-Cohen is misled by an unpersuasive gendering of certain capacities or aptitudes in the human population. Moreover, we suggest that this may inadvertently favour boys in diagnosing children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. If this is correct, it could also have rather serious consequences for treatment and services for girls (and women) on the Autism Spectrum.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.