Work

In defense of the double empathy problem hypothesis: An urgently needed alternative to fallacies and injustices in mainstream autism research.

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: In their theoretical note, "The Double Empathy Problem: A Derivation Chain Analysis and Cautionary Note," Livingston et al. (2024) took a critical look at the double empathy problem hypothesis (DEPH). While they acknowledge that the DEPH offers promising insights, and while their critical note seems, at times, to be written with an eye to furthering and expanding DEPH, the main point they ultimately drive home is that DEPH has a "precarious theoretical and evidence base" and that, given this (allegedly) shaky foundation, applying DEPH "into real-world applications may have unintended and potentially harmful consequences for autistic people and those with similar conditions" (Livingston et al., 2024, p. 10). In this theoretical note, we take a critical look at Livingston et al.'s critique of DEPH, arguing that their warning note is problematic both from an ethical and philosophy of science point of view. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

Source: Psychological Review

DOI: 10.1037/rev0000605

Authors: Caroline Bollen, Janna van Grunsven

Institutions: Eindhoven University of Technology, Delft University of Technology

Language: English

Topic: Autism Spectrum Disorder Research

Subfield: Cognitive Neuroscience

Field: Neuroscience

Domain: Life Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funder: Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek

Awards: Ethics of Socially Disruptive Technologies, G81565526