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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/new-study-examines-personality-profiles-across-263-occupations/" style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing:-1px;margin:0;padding:0 0 2px;font-weight: bold;font-size: 19px;line-height: 20px;color:#222;">New study examines personality profiles across 263 occupations</a>
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<p><p>In a study published in the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0001249"><em>Journal of Applied Psychology</em></a>, researchers found that occupational roles explain a significant portion of variance in personality traits, revealing distinct personality profiles across 263 different occupations.</p>
<p>Understanding how personality traits align with specific occupations is crucial for career counseling, coaching, and organizational hiring practices. Although previous studies have explored personality across various human categories like gender and age, relatively few have comprehensively examined differences across occupations.</p>
<p>Building on the <a href="https://www.psypost.org/the-new-enactivist-big-five-theory-of-personality-could-provide-unique-insights-into-human-psychology/">Big Five personality model</a>, Kätlin Anni and colleagues sought to improve upon existing occupational trait research, which has often lacked methodological depth and cross-cultural comparisons. While prior studies had focused primarily on self-reported data, this research incorporated both self-reports and informant ratings, providing a more holistic view of personality traits within various professions. This dual approach acknowledges that perceptions of personality traits may vary based on who assesses them—self or others—and that a single method might miss important details relevant to job performance and career fit.</p>
<p>This study utilized data from the Estonian Biobank, involving 68,540 adult participants who completed a comprehensive personality assessment which included 198 questions designed to capture both broad and specific personality traits. These questions assessed not only the Big Five domains (extraversion, neuroticism, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness) but also finer “nuances” within these traits, such as curiosity, sociability, precision, and emotional resilience.</p>
<p>Each participant provided information about their primary occupation, which was then systematically coded using the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO-08). The study also incorporated informant ratings from close contacts (spouses, friends, family members) for 19,989 participants, offering an additional perspective on each individual’s personality traits.</p>
<p>Occupations with fewer than 25 respondents were excluded to prevent unreliable results from small sample sizes. In cases where specific occupations exceeded 1,000 participants, a random subset of 1,000 was selected to maintain balance across groups. Additionally, since participants could answer in either Estonian or Russian, only responses completed in Estonian were retained to avoid confounding potential linguistic differences with personality or occupational group differences.</p>
<p>The findings revealed that occupations explained 2%–7% of the variance in the Big Five personality domains. In general, occupational groups with specific personality demands showed clear differences in personality traits. For instance, those in social professions like sales and customer service scored higher on extraversion, suggesting that outgoing personalities might thrive in such roles.</p>
<p>On the other hand, individuals working in research, technology, and other analytical fields demonstrated elevated scores in openness, reflecting traits associated with curiosity, creativity, and adaptability. Health professionals and managers had higher conscientiousness levels, consistent with roles that typically demand organization, reliability, and attention to detail.</p>
<p>The study also identified meaningful differences across specific “personality nuances” within the Big Five framework, such as traits related to curiosity, social engagement, or meticulousness. For example, while broad traits like extraversion captured general sociability, narrower nuances within this domain differentiated individuals who thrived in highly interactive roles (like sales) versus those better suited for focused, solitary work (like research). Some of these nuanced traits varied even more across occupations than the Big Five domains themselves, explaining up to 12% of the variance in occupational personality profiles.</p>
<p>Occupations linked with higher job performance tended to show greater homogeneity in specific traits, particularly those associated with emotional stability and conscientiousness. This suggests that selective roles tend to attract or retain individuals with similar personality profiles, leading to more consistent traits within these professions.</p>
<p>The authors note that the study relied on a single cultural context (Estonia), which may limit the generalizability of the findings across diverse sociocultural settings. Differences in occupational selection and work expectations in other regions may lead to varied trait profiles.</p>
<p>Overall, these findings highlight that occupational personality profiles are not only consistent across rating methods but also track with theoretical expectations. They emphasize that detailed personality assessments may significantly improve person-job fit.</p>
<p>The research, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0001249">Personality Profiles of 263 Occupations</a>”, was authored by Kätlin Anni, Uku Vainik, and René Mõttus.</p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/new-research-married-men-age-more-gracefully-but-for-women-its-complicated/" style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing:-1px;margin:0;padding:0 0 2px;font-weight: bold;font-size: 19px;line-height: 20px;color:#222;">New research: Married men age more gracefully — but for women, it’s complicated</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Nov 18th 2024, 06:00</div>
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<p><p>Marriage has long been associated with better health outcomes, but its effects on aging may depend on gender and relationship history. A new study of older Canadians found that married men aged more successfully than their never-married peers, but for women, the story was more complex. Never-married women aged more successfully than those who experienced divorce or widowhood, while married women showed no significant differences from never-married women.</p>
<p>The findings have been published in the journal <em><a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/00208728241267791">International Social Work</a>.</em></p>
<p>As Canada’s population continues to age—nearly one in five Canadians is now 65 or older—understanding the factors that contribute to health and well-being in later life has become increasingly important. Previous research has highlighted the benefits of marriage, including improved physical and mental health, but these studies often failed to account for changes in marital status over time or how these dynamics might differ for men and women.</p>
<p>The researchers were particularly interested in addressing gaps in existing literature. While many studies have focused on static marital statuses (e.g., married vs. unmarried), few have examined how transitions, such as becoming widowed or married, affect aging outcomes.</p>
<p>Additionally, most prior studies used narrow definitions of “successful aging” that emphasized physical health and often excluded those with chronic illnesses or disabilities. The researchers sought to adopt a more comprehensive and inclusive definition, incorporating physical, psychological, social, and emotional well-being, to better capture the lived experiences of older adults.</p>
<p>“I am a registered social worker and have worked in gerontological social work for over 20 years. Supporting older adults in living and aging well has always been my passion,” said first author Mabel Ho, a research affiliate of the Institute of Life Course and Aging at the University of Toronto’s Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work. “Our study followed over 7,000 middle-aged and older Canadians, and we noticed that some people aged well while others did not. By understanding factors associated with successful aging, we can better support older adults to thrive in later life.”</p>
<p>The study drew on data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging, which tracks the health and well-being of adults aged 45 to 85 over 20 years. The researchers analyzed a subset of 7,641 participants who were at least 60 years old during the second wave of data collection (2015–2018). Participants were categorized based on their marital status at the start of the study and any changes experienced during the three-year period. Categories included never married, continuously married, continuously divorced or separated, continuously widowed, newly married, and newly unmarried.</p>
<p>Successful aging was assessed using a holistic framework that included physical health (e.g., absence of chronic pain or disability), mental health (e.g., absence of depression or anxiety), social wellness (e.g., strong social support networks), and self-perception of aging (e.g., feeling satisfied with life). Participants who met all criteria were classified as aging successfully.</p>
<p>The researchers found that married men or those who became married during the study were significantly more likely to age successfully compared to never-married men. This advantage persisted even after accounting for other factors, indicating a strong link between marriage and successful aging for men. Conversely, men who transitioned out of marriage—through divorce, separation, or widowhood—were less likely to age successfully, although their outcomes were not significantly worse than those of never-married men.</p>
<p>For women, marriage was less predictive of successful aging. Those who remained married showed no significant differences from never-married women in their likelihood of aging successfully. However, women who experienced widowhood or divorce during the study period were less likely to meet the criteria for successful aging compared to their never-married peers. These findings suggest that marital stability may be more influential for women’s aging outcomes than the presence of marriage itself.</p>
<p>“Married men were more likely to be aging optimally than never-married men, while older women who experienced widowhood, separation, and divorce were not doing as well as their never-married peers,” said senior author <a href="https://socialwork.utoronto.ca/profiles/esme-fuller-thomson/">Esme Fuller-Thomson</a>, the director of the Institute of Life Course and Aging and a professor at the University of Toronto’s Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work.</p>
<p>Overall, 70.5% of participants were classified as aging successfully by the end of the study. Factors such as maintaining social connections, engaging in regular physical activity, and avoiding smoking were strongly associated with successful aging for both sexes. However, the sex-specific differences in how marital trajectories influenced outcomes highlighted the importance of considering gendered experiences when addressing aging-related challenges.</p>
<p>“We also found that people who engaged in positive health behaviors such as maintaining a healthy body weight, being physically active, sleeping well, and not smoking were more likely to remain in optimal health as the study progressed,” Fuller-Thomson said. “It is essential to engage in an active and healthy lifestyle at all ages.”</p>
<p>“We introduced an expanded definition of successful aging in our study,” Ho added. “To be classified as aging successfully, older adults had to report no limitations in daily activities, no disabling pain, no mental illness or memory problems, adequate social support, and high self-rated wellness. We are thrilled that 70% of older adults who were doing well at baseline were still in optimal health at the end of the three-year study.”</p>
<p>However, as with all research, there are limitations. The study relied on self-reported data, which may introduce bias. Additionally, the sample was disproportionately well-educated, limiting the generalizability of findings to the broader population.</p>
<p>Future research could extend these findings by examining longer-term trends and exploring how other factors, such as caregiving roles, financial stability, and cultural norms, interact with marital status to influence aging. Researchers could also investigate the mechanisms behind the observed sex differences, such as variations in social support networks or coping strategies.</p>
<p>“We would like to continue looking into factors associated with successful aging and how to better support older adults in living and aging well,” Ho said. “With more waves of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging and other data becoming available, we can study more about how people are doing over time and why some people do well while others do not. The possibilities are endless.”</p>
<p>“After working with older adults living with various health conditions and their families for over 20 years, I realize that encouraging people to engage in an active and healthy lifestyle as early in life as possible is just as important as providing the best care when needed later in life. An age-friendly and supportive society for all will help more of us thrive in later life.”</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/00208728241267791">The association between trajectories of marital status and successful aging varies by sex: Findings from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA)</a>,” was authored by Mabel Ho, Eleanor Pullenayegum, David Burnes, and Esme Fuller-Thomson.</p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/brain-circuits-tied-to-depressions-negativity-effect-uncovered/" style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing:-1px;margin:0;padding:0 0 2px;font-weight: bold;font-size: 19px;line-height: 20px;color:#222;">Brain circuits tied to depression’s “negativity effect” uncovered</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Nov 17th 2024, 14:00</div>
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<p><p>A recent study conducted by scientists in France and published in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-024-03085-6"><em>Translational Psychiatry</em></a> offers new insights into how depression affects the brain’s processing of positive and negative experiences. The research found that during depressive episodes, specific brain circuits become hyperactive in response to negative stimuli, while those involved in perceiving positive stimuli are less active. This shift in brain activity may contribute to the pessimistic outlook commonly seen in individuals with depression.</p>
<p>Understanding how depression affects the brain’s interpretation of everyday experiences is important for developing more effective treatments. Depression is marked by a “negativity bias,” where people interpret situations and sensory experiences—such as sights, sounds, and smells—in an excessively negative way.</p>
<p>Scientists know this bias plays a significant role in reinforcing depressive symptoms, but they don’t fully understand the brain mechanisms behind it. The new study aimed to explore the brain circuits involved in this bias, focusing on the amygdala, a brain region known for its role in processing emotions.</p>
<p>“Negative emotional biases alter the perception of emotional stimuli in individuals with depression. As a result, pleasant stimuli lose their hedonic value, while negative stimuli become even more negative,” said study authors Chantal Henry (a professor of psychiatry at Paris Cité University) and Mariana Alonso (a research associate at Institut Pasteur), who are both affiliated with the <a href="https://research.pasteur.fr/en/team/emotional-circuits/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Emotional Circuits</a> research group.</p>
<p>“These biases lead to the development and maintenance of depressive symptoms and are assessed by various tests in humans. However, there are very few tests in animals to measure emotional bias in a translational way. Importantly, restoring these biases is essential for recovering from a depressive state, making it crucial to understand their mechanisms.”</p>
<p>To investigate this, the researchers used both human participants and a mouse model of depression. In the human part of the study, the team recruited 48 adults with bipolar disorder, 23 of whom were currently experiencing a depressive episode. They also included 11 individuals without a history of mental illness as a control group. All participants completed an “odor test,” a test designed to assess how they rated different smells. Using this method, the researchers could determine whether the participants had a negativity bias in their perception of odors, especially for those in a depressive state.</p>
<p>“The olfactory preference test we developed is simple but allows us to study essential emotional processes involved in the onset and maintenance of depression,” Henry and Alonso explained.</p>
<p>In parallel, the scientists created a similar depressive state in mice by giving them a chemical (corticosterone) that induces depression-like behavior. They then used an odor preference test, where the mice were exposed to neutral, pleasant, and unpleasant odors, and their behaviors were observed. Researchers monitored the time the mice spent near each odor, assessing whether depressive mice displayed a similar negativity bias.</p>
<p>To further understand the brain mechanisms involved, the scientists used imaging techniques on the mice to examine changes in brain circuits, focusing on two specific pathways in the amygdala: the basolateral amygdala-to-nucleus accumbens pathway and the basolateral amygdala-to-central amygdala pathway. The first pathway is generally associated with positive experiences, while the second is associated with negative experiences.</p>
<p>The researchers found significant differences between the depressed and non-depressed groups, both in humans and in mice. Depressed individuals and depressive-like mice rated or responded more negatively to odors, even to neutral or positive ones. This negativity bias was associated with heightened activity in the brain circuits responsible for processing negative experiences. In the mice, researchers observed that the basolateral amygdala-to-central amygdala circuit was more active in those with depressive-like symptoms, while the pathway associated with positive experiences was less active.</p>
<p>The mice treated with the antidepressant fluoxetine showed a reduction in negativity bias, suggesting that these brain pathways are indeed tied to depressive symptoms. When specific neurons in the basolateral amygdala-to-nucleus accumbens pathway were activated in the depressive mice, their negativity bias diminished, and they responded more positively to neutral and pleasant smells. However, this manipulation did not change their negative response to unpleasant odors, suggesting that additional brain pathways might be required to fully address this bias in depressive states.</p>
<p>“Using an olfactory test, we demonstrated the presence of a negative emotional bias in mice with a depressive phenotype (which mimics some symptoms of human depression), closely resembling what is observed in depressed patients (pleasant odors are less pleasant, and unpleasant odors are more aversive),” Henry and Alonso told PsyPost. “We showed that this bias is linked to an imbalance in the activation of specific neurons within a small brain area, the amygdala, which generates emotions. By manipulating these neurons in mice, we were able to correct this bias by increasing attractiveness of positive odors, and induce recovery from the depressive phenotype, demonstrating that it represents a critical target for understanding the action of antidepressants.”</p>
<p>While the study sheds light on how certain brain circuits contribute to negativity bias, it has some limitations. The odor tests used in both humans and mice were a simple way to measure emotional responses but might not capture the full complexity of depressive symptoms. Also, while the mouse model of depression is helpful for studying some aspects of the illness, it cannot replicate the full experience of depression in humans, particularly in cases of bipolar disorder. Future studies could explore additional brain circuits that might contribute to depressive symptoms, as well as examine whether similar biases occur with visual or auditory stimuli.</p>
<p>Long-term, this research could help scientists develop more targeted therapies for depression. By focusing on the specific brain circuits associated with negative and positive perception, researchers hope to create treatments that reduce negativity bias in individuals with depression, offering new ways to alleviate symptoms for patients who do not respond to traditional antidepressants.</p>
<p>“Around 30% of patients with depression are resistant to conventional medical treatment with antidepressants,” Henry and Alonso said. “Our goal is to pursue this research to improve our understanding of the mechanisms at the cellular and molecular levels, in order to identify more precise molecular targets exhibiting antidepressant properties.”</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-024-03085-6">Disrupted basolateral amygdala circuits supports negative valence bias in depressive states</a>,” was authored by Mathilde Bigot, Claire-Hélène De Badts, Axel Benchetrit, Éléonore Vicq, Carine Moigneu, Manon Meyrel, Sébastien Wagner, Alexandru Adrian Hennrich, Josselin Houenou, Pierre-Marie Lledo, Chantal Henry, and Mariana Alonso.</p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/eating-fish-during-pregnancy-linked-to-lower-autism-risk-in-children-study-finds/" style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing:-1px;margin:0;padding:0 0 2px;font-weight: bold;font-size: 19px;line-height: 20px;color:#222;">Eating fish during pregnancy linked to lower autism risk in children, study finds</a>
<div style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align:left;color:#999;font-size:11px;font-weight:bold;line-height:15px;">Nov 17th 2024, 12:00</div>
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<p><p>A recent study published in the <em><a href="https://ajcn.nutrition.org/article/S0002-9165(24)00585-9/fulltext" target="_blank" rel="noopener">American Journal of Clinical Nutrition</a></em> highlights the potential benefits of eating fish during pregnancy. Researchers found that maternal fish consumption was associated with about a 20% lower likelihood of an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis in children, particularly in females, and a slight reduction in autism-related traits. However, taking omega-3 supplements, often marketed for similar benefits, did not show the same associations.</p>
<p>Autism spectrum disorder is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects how individuals perceive and interact with the world. It is characterized by challenges in social communication and interaction, along with restricted or repetitive behaviors. Autism exists on a spectrum, meaning its severity and symptoms can vary widely from one individual to another. Some people with autism may require significant support in their daily lives, while others are highly independent and excel in certain areas, such as logic or attention to detail.</p>
<p>The causes of autism are complex and not fully understood. Both genetic and environmental factors are known to play a role. While genetics have a significant influence, researchers are increasingly examining prenatal and early-life environmental exposures to understand their contributions to neurodevelopmental outcomes. Among these factors, maternal nutrition during pregnancy has emerged as a potentially modifiable influence.</p>
<p>Fish is a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, particularly DHA, which is a key component of brain cell membranes. Previous studies have suggested that fish consumption during pregnancy may support cognitive development and reduce the likelihood of developmental challenges in children. However, concerns about contaminants in fish, such as methylmercury, and the lack of clear evidence linking fish intake to autism outcomes have contributed to uncertainty about its benefits and risks.</p>
<p>“Fish intake is a key source of fatty acids that are important in brain development. Although many studies have examined relationships between eating fish in pregnancy and other child outcomes like IQ scores, few studies have addressed whether eating fish in pregnancy – or not eating enough fish in pregnancy – might relate to autism and related behaviors or traits,” said study author Kristen Lyall, an associate Professor at the AJ Drexel Autism Institute at Drexel University.</p>
<p>The researchers utilized data from the Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program, a large consortium of studies in the United States examining the impact of early-life environmental factors on child health. The study analyzed data from up to 32 cohorts involving children born between 1999 and 2019, with a total sample size of nearly 4,000 participants for fish intake and over 4,500 for supplement use.</p>
<p>Mothers provided information on their fish consumption during pregnancy using food frequency questionnaires. Fish intake was categorized into four levels: none or less than once a month, more than once a month but less than weekly, weekly, and two or more servings per week. Omega-3 supplement use was also reported, but detailed dose information was not consistently available.</p>
<p>Autism diagnoses were based on parent-reported clinician diagnoses. In addition, autism-related traits were measured using the Social Responsiveness Scale, a standardized tool that assesses social and communication traits associated with autism.</p>
<p>The study found a consistent association between maternal fish consumption and reduced likelihood of autism diagnosis. Any fish consumption during pregnancy was linked to about a 20% reduction in autism risk compared to no fish consumption. Interestingly, this association did not appear to strengthen with higher levels of fish intake; all categories of fish consumption showed similar reductions in risk. The association was particularly pronounced in females, although the results for males also indicated a potential benefit.</p>
<p>For autism-related traits, children of mothers who ate fish during pregnancy had slightly lower scores on the Social Responsiveness Scale, suggesting fewer autism-related traits. However, the reduction was modest—about two points on the scale.</p>
<p>“Our findings are consistent with current dietary guidelines during pregnancy to consume at least 1-2 servings of fish low in mercury per week,” Lyall told PsyPost. “Our results suggested that those who ate fish at least weekly had a lower likelihood of having a child with autism, though it is important to remember that many factors contribute to autism.”</p>
<p>In contrast, omega-3 supplement use was not associated with a reduced likelihood of autism diagnosis or autism-related traits. In fact, there was a small but statistically significant increase in autism-related traits among children of mothers who took supplements. This finding was unexpected and requires further investigation.</p>
<p>“It was somewhat surprising that we saw associations with fish intake, but not with fish oil/omega-3 supplement intake,” Lyall said. “It may be that the biological availability of these critical fatty acids differs in fish vs in supplements, or that other nutrients in fish contribute to the benefits.”</p>
<p>The researchers controlled for factors like maternal age, education, race, and smoking status, as well as the child’s sex and birth year. But there are some limitations to consider. The researchers relied on self-reported data for both fish consumption and autism diagnoses, which may introduce measurement errors. Additionally, the study could not account for differences in fish species or contaminants, such as methylmercury, which may vary in their effects. The data also lacked detailed information on the timing of fish consumption during pregnancy or the dosage of omega-3 supplements.</p>
<p>Future research should explore these factors in more detail, including the specific types of fish consumed, the role of other nutrients found in fish, and the potential influence of contaminants. Studies that incorporate biomarkers, such as blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids, could provide more precise data. Researchers also emphasized the need to investigate whether the benefits of fish consumption might plateau beyond a certain intake level or vary by trimester.</p>
<p>“We would like to better understand how environmental factors influence neurodevelopment, and provide the best possible information to pregnant persons to guide dietary choices,” Lyall said.</p>
<p>The study, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajcnut.2024.06.013" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Association of maternal fish consumption and ω-3 supplement use during pregnancy with child autism-related outcomes: results from a cohort consortium analysis</a>,” was authored by Kristen Lyall, Matt Westlake, Rashelle J. Musci, Kennedy Gachigi, Emily S. Barrett, Theresa M. Bastain, Nicole R. Bush, Claudia Buss, Carlos A. Camargo Jr., Lisa A. Croen, Dana Dabelea, Anne L. Dunlop, Amy J. Elliott, Assiamira Ferrara, Akhgar Ghassabian, James E. Gern, Marion E. Hare, Irva Hertz-Picciotto, Alison E. Hipwell, Christine W. Hockett, Margaret R. Karagas, Claudia Lugo-Candelas, Thomas G. O’Connor, Rebecca J. Schmidt, Joseph B. Stanford, Jennifer K. Straughen, Coral L. Shuster, Robert O. Wright, Rosalind J. Wright, Qi Zhao, and Emily Oken.</p></p>
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<td><a href="https://www.psypost.org/autistic-children-spend-less-time-looking-at-cute-pictures/" style="font-family:Helvetica, sans-serif; letter-spacing:-1px;margin:0;padding:0 0 2px;font-weight: bold;font-size: 19px;line-height: 20px;color:#222;">Autistic children spend less time looking at cute pictures</a>
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<p><p>A study of children with autism found that their attention to pictures of cute animals and children varies depending on the severity of their autism symptoms. Children with low-to-moderate autistic symptoms and those without autism spent more time looking at pictures of cute animals and children compared to neutral objects. In contrast, children with more severe autism symptoms, particularly in the area of social emotions, spent less time focusing on cute images than on non-cute pictures. The research was published in the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-024-06504-1"><em>Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders</em></a>.</p>
<p>Humans tend to find features similar to those of babies cute—a phenomenon known as the baby schema. Visual stimuli depicting humans, animals, or creatures with round heads, big eyes, chubby cheeks, and other similar features are perceived as cute. These stimuli naturally trigger interest and attention in humans across all cultures, a reaction referred to as the “cuteness effect.” This effect likely stems from evolutionary mechanisms that promote caregiving and protective behaviors toward young, vulnerable beings, reinforcing social bonding and empathy.</p>
<p>The cuteness effect is observable from a very young age. One study showed that infants aged 3 to 12 months, with no prior sibling or nursery experience, already display a weak preference for the faces of other infants over the faces of older children. Another study found that objects adhering to the baby schema attract the gaze of children aged 3 to 6 years more effectively than neutral objects, confirming the presence of the cuteness effect. However, it remains unclear whether the cuteness effect is present in autistic individuals, given the difficulties in social interactions that are a hallmark of the disorder.</p>
<p>Study author Alexandra Zaharia and her colleagues sought to explore the association between autism symptom severity and the cuteness effect. They hypothesized that attention to cute pictures, as opposed to neutral pictures, would depend on the severity of autism symptoms. They also expected that only children with lower severity of autism symptoms and those without autism would spend more time observing cute pictures.</p>
<p>The study involved 63 children aged 1 to 6 years diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and 31 typically developing children. Among the children with autism, 40 had low-to-moderate symptom severity, while 23 had high symptom severity.</p>
<p>Participants were shown six frames containing colored pictures while wearing an eye-tracking device. One set of frames featured pictures of animals (cats and dogs, considered cute), adult humans, and various objects (e.g., chairs, a sink, a lamp—referred to as neutral stimuli). The other set of frames included pictures of children, animals (cats and dogs), and various objects (e.g., a floppy disk, a chair, a sink, a clothes iron). The researchers recorded the time each child spent looking at each picture in the frames.</p>
<p>Results showed that, in the first set of frames, children without autism and those with low-to-moderate autism symptom severity spent more time looking at animals than at neutral stimuli. However, this difference in attention was significantly lower in children with high autism symptom severity and disappeared after statistical corrections.</p>
<p>In the second set of frames, children with low-to-moderate autism symptoms and those without autism spent more time looking at pictures of children and animals than at neutral objects. In contrast, children with high autism symptom severity showed no such distinction, spending a similar amount of time looking at children, animals, and neutral objects.</p>
<p>“The current study provides evidence for an altered attentional bias toward baby schema in children with high autism severity and suggests that the decreased attention to cute stimuli may be related to social difficulties. Variations linked to the symptom severity observed in the cuteness responses may have important implications in considering individualized approaches in therapies or in the design of interactive agents used in interventions for autistic children,” the study authors concluded.</p>
<p>This study sheds light on an important aspect of perception and motivation in children with autism. However, it is possible that familiarity and previous exposure to stimuli with cute features may have influenced the results, a factor that was not controlled. Additionally, 70 children were excluded from the study because they spent less than 50% of the time looking at the frames.</p>
<p>The paper, “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-024-06504-1">Examining the Link Between Social Affect and Visual Exploration of Cute Stimuli in Autistic Children,</a>” was authored by Alexandra Zaharia, Nada Kojovic, Tara Rojanawisut, David Sander, Marie Schaer, and Andrea C. Samson.</p></p>
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<p><strong>Forwarded by:<br />
Michael Reeder LCPC<br />
Baltimore, MD</strong></p>
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