Mimicry and Prosocial Behavior in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Preliminary Evidence from a Small-Scale Experiment
Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Clinical Trial
Abstract: Mimicry is a key mechanism of social interaction that promotes affiliation and prosocial behavior. In autism spectrum disorder (ASD), however, evidence is mixed: basic imitation abilities often appear intact, but their regulation by social cues and context may be altered. This study tested whether children with ASD show prosocial behaviors after being mimicked. Thirty children with ASD (ages 6–9) were randomly assigned to a mimicry or no-mimicry condition during interaction. Prosocial behavior was measured using a pen-dropping task. Mimicked children were more likely to help and picked up more pens, although wide confidence intervals render the true size of the effect uncertain. These findings provide preliminary evidence that mimicry may foster low-cost helping in ASD, though replication with larger, better characterized samples is essential.
Source: Polish Psychological Bulletin
Institution: Uniwersytet SWPS
Language: Polish
Subfield: Cognitive Neuroscience
Field: Neuroscience
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7124453608
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