The Relation Between Autistic Traits and Symbolic Numerical Comparison Effects

Autistic traits have been associated with enhanced perceptual processing, attention to detail, and systemizing, all of which may be linked to numerical cognition. However, little is known about whether these traits are related to symbolic numerical processing. This study examined the association between autistic traits and numerical comparison performance in adults. Data were collected online from N = 463 participants who performed some numerical tasks and then responded to a number of psychological questionnaires. Of major concern to the current study was whether two types of numerical processing effects (distance and size), as well as an overall processing efficiency measure derived from a single-digit numerical comparison task, were potentially related to self-reported measures of autistic traits and systemizing levels, as well as to performance on a double-digit arithmetic performance task. Although currently available numerical and autistic processing theories would suggest that such relations should indeed exist, none were evident in the results, even though both robust distance and size effects were obtained. However, robust sex and academic major differences were observed for both distance and size effects (smaller for both males and those majoring in STEM).