Atypical emotion sharing in individuals with mirror sensory synaesthesia

Figures & data

Figure 1. Example of a trial sequence from the CARER task. There were two blocks. In one block the online (continuous) rating would be for self and the offline rating for other, then the order would be reversed for the other block.

Table 1. Descriptive statistics and group comparisons of the self-report data.

	MSS	Controls	Stat Test	p	Effect Size
Variable	N = 20	N = 34
	M (SD)	M (SD)
Age	29.90 (2.5)	27.1 (1.9)	U = 270	.21	r = .03
Gender	F = 13, M = 7	F = 19, M = 15	X^2 = .43	.51	Cramer’s V = .09
Logical Memory (WMS-IV)	27.75 (5.92)	26.58 (.91)	t = .92	.36	d = .26
BDI	9.60 (9.18)	4.88 (9.18)	U = 254	.12	r = .04
TAS-20 Total Score	56.70 (10.45)	49.12 (9.41)	t = 2.84	.006*	d = .80
TAS-DDF	14.65 (3.83)	13.09 (3.83)	t = 1.44	.16	d = .41
TAS-DIF	16.80 (8.17)	13.30 (5.27)	t = 1.71	.10	d = .54
TAS-EOT	25.25(3.63)	23.24 (3.83)	t = 1.89	.07	d = .54
AQ	21.60(12.96)	15.09 (10.27)	U = 226	.04*	r = .08
IRI Empathic Concern	21.75 (3.51)	19.97 (3.92)	t = 1.67	.10	d = .47
IRI Fantasy	16.40 (6.32)	16.51 (4.34)	t = -.08	.94	d = .02
IRI Perspective Taking	17.85 (5.83)	18.21 (4.82)	t = -.25	.81	d = .07
IRI Personal Distress	13.50 (6.35)	11.58 (4.92)	t = 1.24	.22	d = .35

Note: MSS = Mirror Sensory Synaesthesia; Logical Memory subscale of the Wechsler’s Memory Scale, 4th edition; BDI = Beck’s Depression Inventory; TAS-20 = Toronto Alexithymia Scale—20 items; TAS—DDF = TAS subscale—Difficulty Describing Feelings; TAS—DIF = TAS Subscale Difficulty Identifying Feelings, TAS—EOT = TAS Subscale Externally-Orienting Thinking, AQ = Autism Quotient, IRI = Interpersonal Reactivity Index.

Figure 2. Mean Affect Sharing per group and condition. Panel A illustrates the 3-way interaction in the Online condition: Group × Story type × Time. Panel B shows the Group × Story type interaction in the offline condition. Error bars represent the SEM. **p < 0.01; *p < 0.05.

Figure 3. Mean ratings for self and other per participant group during each story type. Panel A shows ratings for self and other in Online trials and Panel B shows the offline trials. Error bars represent SEM. **p < 0.01.

Table 2. Correlations between key variables from the CARER task and self-reported questionnaires.

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
1. AQ
2. TAS 20	.36**
3. IRI Fantasy	−.20	−.18
4. IRI Empathic Concern	−.08	−.03	.28*
5. IRI Perspective Taking	−.26	−.10	.33*	.56**
6. IRI Personal Distress	.39**	.06	.14	.21	.05
7. Affective Empathy Online	.22	−.17	−.09	−.28*	−.06	−.06
8. Affective Empathy Offline	.20	.10	−.25	−.02	−.04	−.13	.53**
9. Emotion Identification Online	.14	.06	−.21	.13	−.01	.04	.04	.31*
10. Emotion Identification Offline	.13	.11	−.19	.03	−.11	−.25	.26	.49**	.14
11. Affect Sharing Online	−.26	−.42**	−.03	−.24	.01	.05	.03	−.02	−.16	−.03
12. Affect Sharing Offline	−.41**	−.25	−.06	−.24	−.04	−.17	−.08	.08	.02	−.12	.63*

**Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).

*Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (2-tailed). Significant correlations that are not in bold are either subscales of the IRI questionnaires—which correlate, as expected, with each other; or CARER measures, which include scores for self/other (or both) in all the calculations that make up the scale.

Abbreviations: AQ = Autism Quotient, TAS-20 = Toronto Alexithymia Scale—20 items.