The Prevalence of Broad Autism Phenotype in Young Adults: The Roles of Genetic Relationship to Autism, Gender, and Academic Major

Abstract

Subclinical levels of autism traits are known as the Broad Autism Phenotype (BAP) and include a rigid personality, aloof personality, and pragmatic language difficulties. Genetic relatives of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), males, and those in math- or science-oriented careers may be more likely to exhibit BAP. This study examined the prevalence of BAP in young adults to assess the influence of genetic relationship to ASD, gender, and academic field. Online self-report data from 170 undergraduate college students included the Broad Autism Phenotype Questionnaire (BAPQ), information about genetic relationship to ASD, and demographic information. Results showed no relationship between BAP and level of shared ASD genes, gender, or academic major. However, 25.3% of our college-aged sample met BAP cutoffs, compared to previous estimates of only 5–9% of adult parents of neurotypical children and 14–23% of parents of children with ASD. These findings expand our understanding of subclinical autistic traits in young adults. This research highlights the need to investigate community-based samples of various age groups when estimating the prevalence of BAP to better-understand the extent to which these personality characteristics are present in the general population.

Keywords:

• Academic major
• Broad Autism Phenotype
• Broad Autism Phenotype Questionnaire
• gender
• prevalence

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the many students who participated in this research. This research received no grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

Declaration of interests

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, KD, upon reasonable request.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Kristen N. Dovgan

Dr. Kristen Dovgan is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Marist College. She earned her PhD in Applied Developmental Psychology from George Mason University in 2013. She has 14 years of experience and training in the field of Psychological Science and Neurodevelopmental Disorders. She has worked individually with children and adults diagnosed with a variety of disabilities, mainly Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Within ASD literature, she has published on the longitudinal patterns of severe problem behaviors, predicting the progression of self-injurious behavior (SIB), stereotyped behaviors, and aggression over time in young children. She also studies co-occurring problems in individuals with ASD, including sleep problems, anxiety, and gastrointestinal disorders.

Kristina M. Villanti

Kristina Villanti is an honors undergraduate student at Marist College, expecting her B.A. in May 2022. She has research interests in developmental psychology and neuroscience and plans to attend a graduate program in neuropsychology.