People on the autism spectrum have difficulties in identifying angry expressions produced at normal speed and intensity.
Findings provide new evidence that autism is linked to lower empathy in the general population, and atypical empathy in ASD is not simply due to alexithymia, or emotional blindness. Researchers stress that the lack of empathy may not always be a negative quality.
Those with alexithymia, a psychological condition in which people have difficulty in the emotions they are experiencing, may also have an altered physiological response to olfactory stimulation, researchers report.
