'I care for you,' says the autistic moral brain

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-03/isoa-cf032316.php

Public Release: 29-Mar-2016
'I care for you,' says the autistic moral brain
A new study disproves a common stereotype about autism
International School of Advanced Studies (SISSA)

"Autistic people are cold and feel no empathy." True? It is a pervasive stereotype, but when analyzed through the lens of science, reality turns out to be quite different. According to a study at SISSA, carried out in collaboration with the University of Vienna, when autistic people are placed in "moral dilemma" situations, they show an empathic response similar to the general population. The myth of coldness in autism is likely due to the presence of the subclinical trait of alexithymia, which is often associated with autism, but is distinct and can be present in the general population, and is characterized by the inability to recognize one's own, or others' emotions. The study was published in the journal Scientific Reports.

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