Mediators of the link between autistic traits and relationship satisfaction in a non-clinical sample.

Publisher: Springer Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 7904301 Publication Model: Print Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1573-3432 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 01623257 NLM ISO Abbreviation: J Autism Dev Disord Subsets: MEDLINE

Publication: <2006- >: New York, NY : Springer
Original Publication: New York, Plenum Press.

Interpersonal Relations* ; Personal Satisfaction*; Autistic Disorder/*psychology ; Marriage/*psychology ; Spouses/*psychology; Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Longitudinal Studies ; Male ; Object Attachment ; Self Concept ; Severity of Illness Index ; Social Behavior ; Surveys and Questionnaires

People with ASD have deficits in their social skills and may therefore experience lower relationship satisfaction. This study investigated possible mechanisms to explain whether and how autistic traits, measured with the AQ, influence relationship satisfaction in a non-clinical sample of 195 married couples. More autistic traits were associated with lower relationship satisfaction for husbands but not for wives. Multiple mediation analyses revealed that husbands' responsiveness towards their wives, trust, and intimacy mediated this link between autistic traits and relationship satisfaction. These findings suggest that autistic traits may hamper men's relationship satisfaction because they impede relationship-specific feelings and behavior. There was no partner-effect of autistic traits, indicating that more autistic traits do not necessarily influence the partner's perceptions of relationship satisfaction.

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Date Created: 20091104 Date Completed: 20100714 Latest Revision: 20220310

20240829

PMC2837186

10.1007/s10803-009-0888-z

19885724