Category learning in autistic individuals: A meta-analysis.

Publisher: Springer] Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 9502924 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1531-5320 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 10699384 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Psychon Bull Rev Subsets: MEDLINE

Publication: <2013-> : [New York : Springer]
Original Publication: Austin, TX : Psychonomic Society, Inc., c1994-

Learning*/physiology; Humans ; Autistic Disorder ; Concept Formation/physiology ; Male

Learning new categories is a fundamental human skill. In the present article, we report the first comprehensive meta-analysis of category learning in autism. Including studies comparing groups of autistic and nonautistic individuals, we investigated whether autistic individuals differ in category learning from nonautistic individuals. In addition, we examined moderator variables accounting for variability between studies. A multilevel meta-analysis of k = 50 studies examining n = 1,220 autistic and n = 1,445 nonautistic individuals based on 112 effect sizes in terms of the standardized mean difference revealed lower-level category learning skills for autistic compared with nonautistic individuals, g = -0.55, 95% CI = [-0.73, -0.38], p < .0001. According to moderator analyses, the significant amount of heterogeneity, Q(111) = 617.88, p < .0001, was explained by only one of the moderator variables under investigation-namely, study language. For the remaining variables-namely, age, year of publication, risk of bias, type of control group, IQ of autistic group, percentage of male autistic participants, type of category, type of task, and type of dependent measure-there were no significant effects. Although hat values and Cook's distance statistics confirmed the robustness of findings, results of Egger's test and a funnel plot suggested the presence of publication bias reflecting an overrepresentation of disadvantageous findings for autistic groups. Objectives for future work include identifying additional moderator variables, examining downstream effects of suboptimal category learning skills, and developing interventions.
(© 2023. The Author(s).)

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Keywords: Autism; Category learning; Meta-analysis; Prototype formation

Date Created: 20230906 Date Completed: 20240430 Latest Revision: 20240531

20240601

PMC11061057

10.3758/s13423-023-02365-4

37673843