Mindblindness is the term used to describe the inability to understand and appreciate the mental states of others (Baron-Cohen, 1995). It is a cognitive deficit in people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) that impedes their ability to recognize and interpret emotional cues from other people. People with mindblindness may have difficulty understanding facial expressions, gestures, and body language, and they may be unable to interpret the intentions and desires of others.
Mindblindness has been studied extensively and is considered a core feature of autism spectrum disorder. Baron-Cohen (1995) proposed the “theory of mind” to explain the phenomenon, which suggests that individuals with autism lack the cognitive ability to infer the beliefs, intentions, and desires of other people. Subsequent research has revealed that individuals with ASD have deficits in mentalizing, which is the ability to recognize and interpret the mental states of others (Frith & Happé, 1994).
Studies have shown that individuals with ASD have difficulty interpreting social cues, such as facial expressions, gestures, and body language. For example, a study by Osterling and Dawson (1994) found that children with ASD had difficulty recognizing facial expressions of emotion. Similarly, a study by Klin et al. (2002) found that individuals with ASD had difficulty interpreting facial expressions of emotion, such as joy, anger, and sadness.
Furthermore, individuals with ASD have difficulty understanding the intentions and desires of others. For example, a study by Happe (1995) found that children with ASD had difficulty inferring the intentions of others. Similarly, a study by Baron-Cohen et al. (1985) found that individuals with ASD had difficulty interpreting the desires and intentions of others.
Overall, mindblindness is considered a core feature of autism spectrum disorder and is characterized by deficits in mentalizing, the ability to interpret the mental states of others. Studies have shown that individuals with ASD have difficulty interpreting social cues and understanding the intentions and desires of others.
References
Baron-Cohen, S. (1995). Mindblindness: An essay on autism and theory of mind. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Frith, U., & Happé, F. (1994). Autism: Beyond “theory of mind”. Cognition, 50(1-3), 115-132.
Osterling, J., & Dawson, G. (1994). Early recognition of children with autism: A study of first birthday party. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 24(4), 247-257.
Klin, A., Jones, W., Schultz, R., Volkmar, F., & Cohen, D. (2002). Visual fixation patterns during viewing of naturalistic social situations as predictors of social competence in individuals with autism. Archives of General Psychiatry, 59(9), 809-816.
Happé, F. (1995). Understanding mind and emotion in normally developing and autistic children. In U. Frith & R. Cook (Eds.), Autism and Asperger Syndrome (pp. 91-110). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Baron-Cohen, S., Leslie, A., & Frith, U. (1985). Does the autistic child have a ‘theory of mind’? Cognition, 21(1), 37-46.