Incarnate biases in picture captions for autistic children: An affective perspective

Previous studies have explored the cognitive disabilities experienced by autistic children between the ages of 2 and 5 who attend special schools. However, there is still debate surrounding the onset, scope, and causes of these problems, especially considering biases that may arise from preconceived notions. Early cognitive issues could potentially contribute to biases in picture caption activities. In this study, we utilized a novel approach (simultaneous observation and questionnaire) to investigate how biases impact picture caption activities. Specifically, we examined the performance of autistic children across four grades: PreK, K1, K2, and K3. We discovered that autistic children in all grades exhibited biased interpretations in picture captions, although K3 performed better than the other grades. Moreover, their biases tended to be negative rather than positive, depending on the level of activity involved. In conclusion, these biases may originate from three spheres: school, society, and family. Therefore, when designing educational programs for children with autism, it is crucial to consider these factors. Overall, our findings suggest that relying solely on incarnate biases to identify pictures presented through picture captions is not a scientifically valid approach. However, it emphasizes the potential risks associated with negative biases in picture captions. Unlike previous studies that focused on identifying discrepancies in picture caption accuracy, our research proposes that as we take into account the onset of biases from the three spheres discussed in this study, picture caption accuracy may improve over time among autistic children as their biases decrease.既往研究已针对就读特殊学校的2至5岁自闭症儿童所经历的认知障碍展开探索。然而，针对此类问题的起病机制、影响范围与致病诱因，学界仍存在争议，尤其需考虑由先入之见引发的认知偏差。早期认知异常或可对图片配文任务中的认知偏差产生影响。本研究采用一种全新的研究范式——同步观察与问卷调查结合法——探究认知偏差对图片配文任务的影响机制。具体而言，本研究针对学前预备班（PreK）、K1、K2与K3四个年级的自闭症儿童的表现展开了考察。研究发现，所有年级的自闭症儿童在图片配文任务中均表现出带有偏差的解读倾向，尽管K3年级儿童的表现优于其余年级。此外，结合任务参与程度的不同，此类偏差多呈现负向而非正向特征。综上，此类认知偏差可能源自三大维度：学校、社会与家庭。因此，在为自闭症儿童设计教育方案时，需将上述因素纳入考量范畴。总体而言，本研究结果表明，仅依靠具象化偏差来识别图片配文所呈现的内容，并非科学合理的研究路径，但本研究同时强调了图片配文任务中负向偏差所潜藏的风险。与既往聚焦于图片配文准确率差异的研究不同，本研究提出：若将本研究所提及的三大维度的偏差起源纳入考量，随着自闭症儿童的认知偏差逐步减少，其图片配文准确率或可随时间推移得到提升。