Anthropomorphism and Autism

Free webinar at 1 p.m. Eastern time (US), Wednesday, October 25, 2023

Learn about recent findings suggesting that autistic individuals may be more likely to anthropomorphize, the tendency to ascribe human-like attributes, such as mental states, to non-human agents, than non-autistic individuals, and how researchers are developing virtual and augmented reality techniques that allow for anthropomorphic experiences

The speaker:
Gray Atherton, PhD, has a BSc in Child Development from Vanderbilt University, a Master’s in Counselling from University of Houston, and a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology and Individual Differences from University of Houston. She has previously lectured at University of Houston and the University of Wolverhampton. Prior to entering academia, Gray was a counselor for adolescents with neurodevelopmental conditions. “I am interested in understanding how people with autism spectrum condition see the social world. Specifically, I explore individual differences in social processing and how these differences often found in people with autism also exist in the general population. I also investigate anthropomorphism, or seeing the human in the non-human, and how this relates to social processing in autism. To investigate this I am developing virtual reality techniques that allow for anthropomorphic experiences. My other research interest lies more broadly in embodied social processing. I am particularly interested in how movement can affect the way we see ourselves and our social partners, and how this can be used to understand special populations.”