UVM Theses and Dissertations
Format:
Print
Author:
Madore, Nina
Dept./Program:
Communication Sciences
Year:
2010
Degree:
MS
Abstract:
Purpose: This study examined narrative skills in individuals with and without autism spectrum disorders (ASD) by examining narrative elements in different narrative tasks. Method: Five adults, between 22-32 years of age with diagnoses of ASD (highfunctioning autism, Asperger's syndrome, PDD-NOS) were matched with typically developing adults based on age, gender, and education. Participants were asked to generate narratives based on two personal narrative tasks, one fictional narrative task, and the social attribution task (SAT)-a silent animated film clip. Narratives were analyzed for measures of story grammar (total number of T-units (relevant and irrelevant), number of relevant T-units, narrative episodes, complete episodes, narrative stage) and mental state attributions (propositions, impertinent propositions, Pertinence Index, salient items, Salience Index, cognitive mental state terms, Theory of Mind Cognition Index, affective mental state terms, and Theory of Mind Affect Index).
Results: No significant group differences were found on most measures of story grammar or mental state attributions for both of the personal narrative tasks and the fictional narrative task. Significant group differences were found on the SAT full narrative for numerous mental state attribution measures including number of propositions, Pertinence Index, Salience Index, number of cognitive mental state terms; as well as several story grammar measures including number of T-units, number of relevant T-units, number of episodes, and number of complete episodes. No significant group differences were found on any story grammar measures for the SAT clips. Significant group differences were found for the SAT clips tasks on the Salience Index, number of affective mental state terms, and ToM Affect Index. The ASD group demonstrated significant differences between the SAT clips task compared to other narrative tasks for number of T-units, number of propositions, number of cognitive mental state terms, and number of salient items. The control group demonstrated significant differences between the SAT clips task and the personal narrative tasks on story grammar and mental state attribution measures.
Conclusions: Participants with ASD produced personal and fictional narratives similarly to age and educationally matched peers on story grammar and mental state attribution measures. Participants with ASD demonstrated deficits on the attribution of mental states, as well as on story grammar structure for the SAT compared to the control group. When controlled for memory load, both groups improved on story grammar and theory of mind measures on the SAT task. The ASD group produced significantly poorer SAT narratives than the control group on measures of story grammar structure and theory of mind measures.
Results: No significant group differences were found on most measures of story grammar or mental state attributions for both of the personal narrative tasks and the fictional narrative task. Significant group differences were found on the SAT full narrative for numerous mental state attribution measures including number of propositions, Pertinence Index, Salience Index, number of cognitive mental state terms; as well as several story grammar measures including number of T-units, number of relevant T-units, number of episodes, and number of complete episodes. No significant group differences were found on any story grammar measures for the SAT clips. Significant group differences were found for the SAT clips tasks on the Salience Index, number of affective mental state terms, and ToM Affect Index. The ASD group demonstrated significant differences between the SAT clips task compared to other narrative tasks for number of T-units, number of propositions, number of cognitive mental state terms, and number of salient items. The control group demonstrated significant differences between the SAT clips task and the personal narrative tasks on story grammar and mental state attribution measures.
Conclusions: Participants with ASD produced personal and fictional narratives similarly to age and educationally matched peers on story grammar and mental state attribution measures. Participants with ASD demonstrated deficits on the attribution of mental states, as well as on story grammar structure for the SAT compared to the control group. When controlled for memory load, both groups improved on story grammar and theory of mind measures on the SAT task. The ASD group produced significantly poorer SAT narratives than the control group on measures of story grammar structure and theory of mind measures.