Judgment and Decision Making (May 2021)

The effect of autism on information sampling during decision-making: An eye-tracking study

  • George D. Farmer,
  • Paula Smith,
  • Simon Baron-Cohen,
  • William J. Skylark

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1017/S1930297500007762
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 16
pp. 614 – 637

Abstract

Read online

Recent research has highlighted a tendency for more rational and deliberative decision-making in individuals with autism. We tested this hypothesis by using eye-tracking to investigate the information processing strategies that underpin multi-attribute choice in a sample of adults diagnosed with autism spectrum condition. We found that, as the number of attributes defining each option increased, autistic decision-makers were speedier, examined less of the available information, and spent a greater proportion of their time examining the option they eventually chose. Rather than indicating a more deliberative style, our results are consistent with a tendency for individuals with autism to narrow down the decision-space more quickly than does the neurotypical population.

Keywords