Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38745228›Full record

ArticleMolecular autism2024

Moral foundations in autistic people and people with systemizing minds.

Yeshaya David M Greenberg, Rosemary Holt, Carrie Allison, Paula Smith, Robbie Newman, Theo Boardman-Pretty, Jonathan Haidt, Simon Baron-Cohen

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Article in Molecular autism, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

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.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Yeshaya David M GreenbergDepartment of Psychiatry, Autism Research Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK. dmg39@cam.ac.uk.
Rosemary HoltDepartment of Psychiatry, Autism Research Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
Carrie AllisonDepartment of Psychiatry, Autism Research Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
Paula SmithDepartment of Psychiatry, Autism Research Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
Robbie NewmanDepartment of Psychiatry, Autism Research Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
Theo Boardman-PrettyDepartment of Psychiatry, Autism Research Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
Jonathan HaidtStern School of Business, New York University, New York, USA.
Simon Baron-CohenDepartment of Psychiatry, Autism Research Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.

Funding

Innovative Medicines Initiative 2 Joint Undertaking No 777394Wellcome Trust 214322\Z\18\Z
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundDo autistic people share the same moral foundations as typical people? Here we built on two prominent theories in psychology, moral foundations theory and the empathizing-systemizing (E-S) theory, to observe the nature of morality in autistic people and systemizers.

methodsIn dataset 1, we measured five foundations of moral judgements (Care, Fairness, Loyalty, Authority, and Sanctity) measured by the Moral Foundations Questionnaire (MFQ) in autistic (n = 307) and typical people (n = 415) along with their scores on the Empathy Quotient (EQ) and Systemizing Quotient (SQ). In dataset 2, we measured these same five foundations along with E-S cognitive types (previously referred to as "brain types") in a large sample of typical people (N = 7595).

resultsAutistic people scored the same on Care (i.e., concern for others) as typical people (h1). Their affective empathy (but not their cognitive empathy) scores were positively correlated with Care. Autistic people were more likely to endorse Fairness (i.e., giving people what they are owed, and treating them with justice) over Care (h2). Their systemizing scores were positively correlated with Fairness. Autistic people or those with a systemizing cognitive profile had lower scores on binding foundations: Loyalty, Authority, and Sanctity (h3). Systemizing in typical people was positively correlated with Liberty (i.e., hypervigilance against oppression), which is a sixth moral foundation (h4). Although the majority of people in all five E-S cognitive types self-identified as liberal, with a skew towards empathizing (h5), the percentage of libertarians was highest in systemizing cognitive types (h6). E-S cognitive types accounted for 2 to 3 times more variance for Care than did sex. LIMITATIONS: Our study is limited by its reliance on self-report measures and a focus on moral judgements rather than behavior or decision-making. Further, only dataset 2 measured political identification, therefore we were unable to assess politics in autistic people.

conclusionsWe conclude that some moral foundations in autistic people are similar to those in typical people (despite the difficulties in social interaction that are part of autism), and some are subtly different. These subtle differences vary depending on empathizing and systemizing cognitive types.

Indexed as

Autistic DisorderEmpathyMoralsAdolescentAdultFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedSurveys and QuestionnairesYoung AdultAutismCognitive and affective empathyEmpathizing-systemizing theoryEmpathy quotientLibertariansMoral foundations theoryMoral judgementsPolitical identificationSystemizing quotient

Identifiers

PMID38745228
PMCPMC11092219

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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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.