Word meaning is complex: Language-related generalization differences in autistic adults

Nicole Cuneo, Sammy Floyd, Adele E. Goldberg

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

The current study marries two important observations. First, there is a growing recognition that word meanings need to be flexibly extended in new ways as new contexts arise. Second, as evidenced primarily within the perceptual domain, autistic individuals tend to find generalization more challenging while showing stronger veridical memory in comparison to their neurotypical peers. Here we report that a group of 80 autistic adults finds it more challenging to flexibly extend the meanings of familiar words in new ways than a group of 80 neurotypical peers, while the autistic individuals outperform the neurotypicals on a novel word-learning task that does not require flexible extension. Results indicate that recognized differences in generalization present an ongoing challenge for autistic adults in the domain of language, separate from social cognition, executive function, or the ability to assign single fixed meanings to new words.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number105691
JournalCognition
Volume244
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 2024

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
  • Developmental and Educational Psychology
  • Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Language and Linguistics
  • Linguistics and Language

Keywords

  • Autism
  • Autistic adults
  • Flexible extension
  • Language
  • Polysemy

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