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Asperger Through the Looking Glass: An Exploratory Study of Self-Understanding in People with Asperger’s Syndrome

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Abstract

Hobson (Autism and the development of mind. Lawrence Erlbaum, Hove, UK 1993) has proposed that the cognitive and linguistic disabilities that characterise autism result from abnormalities in inter-subjective engagement during infancy, which in turn results in impaired reflective self-awareness. The aim of the present study was to test Hobson’s hypothesis by examining self-understanding in Asperger’s syndrome (AS) using Damon and Hart’s (Self-understanding in childhood and adolescence. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1988) model of self-concept. Ten participants with Asperger’s syndrome were compared with ten non AS controls using the Self-understanding Interview (Damon and Hart in Self-understanding in Childhood and Adolescence. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1988). The study found that the Asperger’s group demonstrated impairment in the “self-as-object” and “self-as-subject” domains of the Self-understanding Interview, which supported Hobson’s concept of an impaired capacity for self-awareness and self-reflection in people with ASD. The results are discussed with reference to previous research regarding the development of self-understanding in people with ASD.

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to acknowledge the support of the Liverpool Asperger Service in carrying out this study, which formed part of the first author’s doctoral thesis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Merseycare NHS Trust, Liverpool, UK

    Paul Jackson & Paul Skirrow

  2. School of Psychological Sciences, University of Manchester, Zochonis Building, Brunswick St., Manchester, M13 9LP, UK

    Dougal Julian Hare

Authors
  1. Paul Jackson
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  2. Paul Skirrow
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  3. Dougal Julian Hare
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Dougal Julian Hare.

Appendix: Self-Understanding Interview (Damon and Hart 1988)

Appendix: Self-Understanding Interview (Damon and Hart 1988)

  • Item 1: Self-definition: What are you like? What kind of person are you? What are you not like? How would you describe yourself?

    • Probes: What does that say about you? Why is that important? What difference does that (characteristic) make? What would be different if you were/were not like that?

  • Item 2: Self-evaluation: What are you especially proud of about yourself? What do you like most about yourself? What are you not proud of? What do you like least about self?

    • Probes: What does that say about you? Why is that important?

  • Item 3: Self in the past and future: Do you think you’ll be the same or different 5 years from now? How about when you’re an adult? How about 5 years ago? How about during your childhood?

    • Probes: What will be the same? What will be different? Why is that important?

  • Item 4: Self-interest: What do you want to be like? What kind of person do you want to be? What do you hope for in life? If you could have three wishes, what would they be? What do you think is good for you?

    • Probes: Why do you want to… be that way?…wish for that?…believe that is good for you? What else do you…hope for?…wish for?…believe is good for you? Why is that good for you?

  • Item 5: Continuity: Do you change at all from year to year? How (how not)? If you do change from year to year, how do you know it’s still always you?

    • Probes: In what ways do you stay the same? Is that an important thing to say about you? Why?

  • Item 6: Agency: How did you get to be the way you are? How did that make you the kind of person you are? How could you become different?

    • Probes: What difference did that make? Is that the only reason you turned out like you did? What else could make you different? How would that work?

  • Item 7: Distinctness: Do you think there is anyone who is exactly like you? What makes you different from anyone you know?

    • Probes: Why is that important? What difference does that make? In what other ways are you different? Are you completely different or just partly different? How do you know? Are you different from everybody or just from some people? How can you be sure you’re different from everybody else when there are many people in world you do not know?

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Jackson, P., Skirrow, P. & Hare, D.J. Asperger Through the Looking Glass: An Exploratory Study of Self-Understanding in People with Asperger’s Syndrome. J Autism Dev Disord 42, 697–706 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-011-1296-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-011-1296-8

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