Reduced Phonemic Convergence in Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Anders Hogstrom, Department of Psychological Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, United States
- Rachel Theodore, Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, United States
- Allison Canfield, Department of Psychological Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, United States
- Brian Castelluccio, Department of Psychological Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, United States
- Joshua Green, Department of Psychological Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, United States
- Christina Irvine, Department of Psychological Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, United States
- Inge-Marie Eigsti, Department of Psychological Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, United States
AbstractPrevious research has demonstrated that speakers change their phonemic form in response to variability in their immediate linguistic milieu, such that they converge with an interlocutor. While much is known about the impact of social dynamics on this process, the impact of individual variability in cognition and perception is less well-explored. The present study seeks to examine the impact of these individual differences on phonemic convergence during a naturalistic conversation, comparing convergence in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and typical development. Results showed a small effect of temporal convergence within typically developing dyads, compared with evidence of divergence within ASD dyads. While preliminary, this pattern of results suggests that social motivation may play a more important role in phonemic convergence than sensory accounts (such as self-monitoring).