ISN Active Research Projects – Research Participants Required!

We invite you (and/or your children of any age) to participate in a study about Facial Mimicry and Autism. This study is being conducted by Miss Vaishle Gangatharan, Miss Oula Ibrahim, Mr. Geoff Lee, and Dr. David Butler at ISN Psychology Pty Ltd (Heidelberg).

Mimicry involves copying people’s actions. Copying facial expressions may help us understand emotions and experience empathy. People with Autism Spectrum Disorder may have deficits in empathy, which may be due to deficits in facial mimicry. Some researchers suggest people with Autistic traits show such facial deficits, whilst others have not. One limitation is that most prior studies have used photographs for mimicry rather than videos. The ecological validity of past findings are therefore questionable: mimicking still images of faces without seeing the actual movements involved is analogous to mimicking a picture of someone throwing a ball without seeing how the action actually occurs). We therefore aim to investigate whether children and adults with Autism show deficits – compared to neurotypical controls – when videos are used.

Another possible reason why contradictory results have been reported between Autistic and neurotypical samples involves a condition known as alexithymia (i.e., the reduced ability to know one’s inner emotions or bodily sensations). This condition has been noted in approximately half of the population diagnosed with Autism. Furthermore, alexithymia – rather than Autism per se – has been linked to impairments involving facial expression and imitation of gross motor movement. Therefore, we will also explore whether alexithymia (rather than Autism per se) is associated with deficits in facial mimicry. In doing so we hope to better understand the possible mechanisms contributing to social deficits associated with Autism.

We are looking for people (of any age) either with Autistic Spectrum Disorder, or who have no known mental illness or brain damage (please note that people under the age of 18 years will be required to provide written or verbal parental consent). Participation in this study usually runs for one 60-minute session at our research lab within ISN Psychology, located in Level 1 of the Regus Building (486 Lower Heidelberg Rd). This study is completely voluntary: You are free to withdraw participation at any time without any loss of reimbursement ($20 Coles/Myer voucher per hour; a small toy for children). All sessions are videotaped to collect data and will not be viewed by anyone other than ISN project team members and other ISN Psychology staff. Strict confidentiality is applied to all of your information. Only de-identified data will be made available for research related purposes.

If you are interested in making an appointment, or you have any further questions, please contact me on ph. 0466050602 (or email dbutler@isn.edu.au), or Vaishle at vgangatharan@student.isn.edu.au.

Yours faithfully,

Dr David Butler

The research has been approved by the ISN Psychology Pty Ltd Human Research Ethics Committee (approval number 180503). Please contact the ISN Psychology Human Research Ethics Contact Officer (Heather Madsen) to discuss any concerns about this project (ethics@isn.edu.au).