Evaluation of a Visual Cognitive Style in Autism: A Cluster Analysis.

Cognitive style refers to how individuals perceive their environment and solve problems. Among various cognitive styles documented, verbal and visual styles, including object versus spatial cognition, have been widely studied. "Thinking in pictures" is often associated with autism and characterized...

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Publicado en:Journal of Autism & Developmental Disorders Vol. 56; no. 3; pp. 1046 - 1058
Autores principales: Bled, Clara, Guillon, Q., Mottron, L., Soulieres, I., Bouvet, L.
Formato: research tables/charts Journal Article
Publicado: Springer Nature Mar2026
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
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      dt: Mar2026
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      pub: Springer Nature
      place: New York, New York
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        atl: Evaluation of a Visual Cognitive Style in Autism: A Cluster Analysis.
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          Bled, Clara
          Guillon, Q.
          Mottron, L.
          Soulieres, I.
          Bouvet, L.
        affil: Laboratoire CERPPS-E.A. 7411, Université Jean Jaurès, 5, allée Antonio Machado, 31058, Toulouse, EA, France
      sug:
        subj:
          Autism Spectrum Disorder Psychosocial Factors
          Cognition Evaluation
          Visual Perception Evaluation
          Canada
          Human
          Male
          Female
          Adult
          Middle Age
          Descriptive Statistics
          Scales
          Questionnaires
          Neuropsychological Tests
          Analysis of Variance
          T-Tests
          Mann-Whitney U Test
          Cluster Analysis
          Pearson's Correlation Coefficient
          Data Analysis Software
          Spatial Perception Evaluation
          Synesthesia Evaluation
          Language Tests
          Funding Source
          Adult: 19-44 years
          Middle Aged: 45-64 years
          Male
          Female
      ab: Cognitive style refers to how individuals perceive their environment and solve problems. Among various cognitive styles documented, verbal and visual styles, including object versus spatial cognition, have been widely studied. "Thinking in pictures" is often associated with autism and characterized by enhanced performance and autonomy of certain perceptual areas. This study aimed to characterize the cognitive style of autistic individuals, focusing on this visual "thinking in pictures" style. We assessed 43 autistic and 42 non-autistic adults using the Object Spatial Imagery Verbal Questionnaire to evaluate three dimensions of their cognitive style: visual object, visual spatial, and verbal. Using a cluster analysis, we identified cognitive style profiles. We then examined manifestations of cognitive style within these profiles, including mental imagery abilities (with the Mental Rotation Test), the vividness of mental images (with the Vividness of Visual Imagery Questionnaire), language abilities (with the Mill Hill vocabulary test), and synesthetic experiences. Our results revealed three distinct cognitive profiles: a visual profile characterized by significant mental imagery and vivid mental images, a visuo-spatial profile associated with strong abilities to manipulate mental images but lower vividness of mental images, and a verbal profile with lower spatial imagery and manipulation abilities. While all profiles were observed in autistic individuals, the visual cognitive profile was the most common. Additionally, we found synesthesia to be more prevalent in the autistic population compared to the non-autistic population. This study confirms that, while not exclusive, a visual cognitive style is prevalent among autistic individuals.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype:
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        tables/charts
        Journal Article
      ougenre: Article
    language: English
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