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Autistic people challenge preconceived ideas about rationality

psyche.co

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Re: Autistic people challenge preconceived ideas about rationality

#3
It takes a while to get to the point, but this is what the page is about:

As we explained in a recent review paper, researchers have repeatedly found evidence that Autistic individuals are, on average, more consistent, less biased, and more rational than non-autistic individuals in a variety of contexts.

Specifically, many Autistic people seem to be less susceptible to cognitive biases, and therefore better able to make judgments and reach decisions in a more traditionally ‘rational’ manner.

Interesting if true; it could indicate that at least mild Autism is a beneficial adaptation. Though those biases probably came about for good reasons, it could be they've become obsolete and are no longer worth it.

Re: Autistic people challenge preconceived ideas about rationality

#4
> Imagine you have bought two non-refundable tickets to different trips, one much more costly. You are then told that you must cancel one of them. In this case, many people will cancel the cheaper trip regardless of which one they would prefer to go on – and even though they will have spent the same amount of money either way.

I think a better example to sunken cost bias could be found than this one as people usually pay more for trips that they prefer more in the first place.

Re: Autistic people challenge preconceived ideas about rationality

#5

Doesn't everybody challenge these, pretty much? Any artificial "person-in-the-street" construct is unlikely to represent a living, breathing person.

We know that people aren't perfectly rational. The point of the article is that autistic people tend to be more rational on average than neurotypicals. The emotional weight that affects neurotypicals and causes them to fall into biases more often (on average) doesn't apply as often (on average); an autistic person will be less likely to behave differently when confronted with "80% fat free" vs "20% fat", to borrow an example for the article.

Re: Autistic people challenge preconceived ideas about rationality

#6

Doesn't everybody challenge these, pretty much? Any artificial "person-in-the-street" construct is unlikely to represent a living, breathing person.

We know that people aren't perfectly rational. The point of the article is that autistic people tend to be more rational on average than neurotypicals. The emotional weight that affects neurotypicals and causes them to fall into biases more often (on average) doesn't apply as often (on average); an autistic person will be less likely to behave differently when confronted with "80% fat free" vs "20% fat", to borrow an…

[deleted]

Re: Autistic people challenge preconceived ideas about rationality

#8

It takes a while to get to the point, but this is what the page is about: As we explained in a recent review paper, researchers have repeatedly found evidence that Autistic individuals are, on average, more consistent, less biased, and more rational than non-autistic individuals in a variety of contexts. Specifically, many Autistic people seem to be less susceptible to cognitive biases, and therefore better able to m…

Isn’t this why there’s a correlation between Asperger’s and engineers?

The same kind of logical, exacting thinking necessary for mastery of physical systems is in tension with the kinds of thinking used in social games. Some brains are better at one than the other — and we have disorders at both extremes.

I’ve always wondered if autism and dyscalclia are something of “polar opposites”.

Re: Autistic people challenge preconceived ideas about rationality

#9

It takes a while to get to the point, but this is what the page is about: As we explained in a recent review paper, researchers have repeatedly found evidence that Autistic individuals are, on average, more consistent, less biased, and more rational than non-autistic individuals in a variety of contexts. Specifically, many Autistic people seem to be less susceptible to cognitive biases, and therefore better able to m…

It doesn't mean that at all, its but that real world is not made for rationallity, and even if we have created special contexts where it is, it doesn't mean it can be generalized out of them.

Re: Autistic people challenge preconceived ideas about rationality

#10

Doesn't everybody challenge these, pretty much? Any artificial "person-in-the-street" construct is unlikely to represent a living, breathing person.

We know that people aren't perfectly rational. The point of the article is that autistic people tend to be more rational on average than neurotypicals. The emotional weight that affects neurotypicals and causes them to fall into biases more often (on average) doesn't apply as often (on average); an autistic person will be less likely to behave differently when confronted with "80% fat free" vs "20% fat", to borrow an…

That's likely because (many) autistic people (myself included) have to learn to function with emotional regulation issues largely by second-guessing them. So the 'gut feeling' a neurotypical would tend to go with gets overridden by subsequent analysis in the autistic individual, in their attempt to 'calm the storm'. In my case, this causes me to 'throw out' most political hyperbole.

Unfortunately, if the shit really does hit the fan, this process can lead to validation of the emotions and an 'autistic meltdown'. So it's a double-edged sword, to be sure

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