A meta-analysis of the association between autistic traits and camouflage found that people with more pronounced autistic traits tend to behave more socially typical and engage in more camouflage to hide their autistic traits. This association was weaker in people diagnosed with autism. The paper is autism.
Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by differences in social communication, behavioral patterns, sensory processing, and focused interests. It is often referred to as being on the autism spectrum because the characteristics of autism vary widely between individuals and can affect daily life in different ways. Some people with autism have difficulty interpreting social cues, adapting to unspoken social rules, and responding in ways that others expect.
Autistic people often try to hide their autistic traits in social interactions because displaying autistic traits in interactions with other people can cause them to be misunderstood, rejected, bullied, or discriminated against. This process is known as camouflage.
Camouflage involves copying another person’s gestures, facial expressions, tone of voice, or conversational behavior. Individuals may also practice social scripts, forcing eye contact, inhibiting repetitive movements, and avoiding discussions about highly focused interests. These strategies may help people with autism appear socially typical and function more easily in certain social settings. However, maintaining camouflage requires considerable concentration and can lead to fatigue, anxiety, stress, and loss of identity.
Lachlan Greig and colleagues wanted to quantify the relationship between autistic traits and camouflage. They hypothesized that people with more pronounced autistic traits would engage in more camouflage, but that this relationship may depend on the person’s gender and mental health. More specifically, we hypothesized that the association between autistic traits and camouflage would be stronger in women.
These researchers conducted a meta-analysis. They performed a systematic search of scientific databases for records using search terms related to autism, autistic traits, and camouflage. They were looking for studies that reported on associations between autistic traits and camouflage.
After screening more than 2,000 records found in these databases and inspecting the full text of approximately 620 articles, we found 50 scientific articles containing the data we were looking for. In total, these papers reported results from 51 studies conducted on 112 unique samples including 16,895 participants. Approximately 39% of the total samples were from the UK, 14% from the US, and the remainder from various other countries.
The results showed that people with more pronounced autistic traits tended to be more camouflaged. The strength of this association was similar for men and women. This relationship did not change with age, suggesting that the association between autistic traits and camouflage remains stable across the lifespan.
The association between autistic traits and camouflage was stronger in samples from the general population than in samples composed of individuals formally diagnosed with autism. Even people who have not been diagnosed with autism may have varying degrees of autistic traits, and samples from the general population may include people who are not diagnosed.
The strength of the link also largely depends on how autism and camouflage are measured. Of note, the relationship between autistic traits and camouflage was only present when autistic traits were measured through self-report questionnaires. When autistic traits were measured by expert observation, the association disappeared.
The strength of the association did not depend on generalized anxiety or social anxiety. Although it depended on symptoms of depression, the researchers noted that this relationship was subtle and needed further study.
Examination of specific aspects of camouflage has shown that autistic traits are most strongly associated with behaviors that help people assimilate or adapt to society and appear typical. This was followed by strategies to compensate for social differences. The relationship was weakest with activities aimed directly at masking autistic traits.
“Clinicians should be aware that faking can disrupt the diagnostic process, and campaigns aimed at reducing stereotypes of autism and promoting acceptance of neurodiversity may help reduce the stigma that drives faking,” the study authors concluded.
This study contributes to the systematization of scientific knowledge about autism. However, the study authors note that the samples included in this meta-analysis often have limited age and ethnic diversity, which limits the generalizability of these findings.
The paper, “Autistic Traits and Camouflage: A Meta-Analysis,” was authored by Lachlan Greig, Sarah P. Coundouris, and Julie D. Henry.
