Third party observer effect: Application to autistic traits in the normal population

ABSTRACT

This study examined how autistic traits relate to third-party observation during neuropsychological testing. Using a counterbalanced within-subjects design (N = 61), we manipulated the absence and presence of third-party observation when administering alternate forms of the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test and Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test to individuals with variable autistic traits. Bayesian linear mixed effects modeling was used to examine the interaction between autistic traits and third-party observation on test performance. With more autistic traits, susceptibility to a third-party observer decreased on the dependent variables. The third-party observer effect may therefore depend on the social awareness exhibited by the examinee.

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank David Kasza for his help in data collection. This work was completed as part of the first author’s Master of Arts thesis. These data have been made publicly available through Open Science Framework (https://osf.io/v9uxy/)