Exploring Autistic Traits in Young Adults: Association with Attachment Dimensions and Empathy

Abstract

Expression of Autistic Traits was studied to understand the nature of its association with attachment and empathy within a non-clinical sample. The present study aims to gain an understanding of Autistic Traits (ATs) among the general population in association with Attachment and Empathy as well as investigate the mediating role of empathy between the remaining two variables. The study used convenience sampling and snowballing to recruit young adults between the age of 18-30 who haven’t been clinically diagnosed with ASD. (N=222, 55.9 % female). Self-report measures were used for all variables. Correlational and mediation analysis design was used. The results point towards a significant correlation of Autistic Traits individually with Attachment Avoidance, Attachment Anxiety and Empathy. It was also found that people with more presence of autistic traits exhibited higher levels of attachment avoidance and anxiety in comparison to people with less autistic traits. Finally, it was found that empathy mediated the relationship between Autistic traits for the dimension of Attachment anxiety, but not for avoidance. The results of this study expand our understanding of these less explored variables in an Indian population and open avenues for future research.