School of Psychology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, 4.32 Dame Margaret Barbour Building, Wallace Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4DR, UK.
Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
Sci Rep. 2022 May 19;12(1):8451. doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-11592-z.
It has been hypothesised that romantic partners are more similar than chance in relation to autistic traits. To test this theory, we recruited n = 105 heterosexual couples and examined within-couple correlations for autistic traits [measured using the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ)], empathizing [measured using the Empathy Quotient (EQ)], and systemizing [measured using the Systemizing Quotient-Revised (SQ-R)]. For a subsample that attended the lab (n = 58 couples), we also investigated theory of mind via facial expressions using the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET) and attention to detail, a component within systemizing, using the Embedded Figures Task (EFT). Variable-centred analyses revealed positive within-couple correlations for all measures except EQ, although these effects were only statistically significant for unmarried couples and not for married/engaged couples. Follow-up analyses indicated that the observed couple similarity effects are likely consistent with people pairing with those more similar than chance (initial assortment) rather than becoming alike over time (convergence), and to seeking out self-resembling partners (active assortment) rather than pairing in this manner via social stratification processes (social homogamy). Additionally, a significant within-couple correlation for autistic traits was observed at the meta-analytic level. However, it should be noted that the meta-analytic effect size estimate was small (r = 0.153) and indicates that only ~ 2% of variance in a person's score on a phenotypic measure of autistic traits can be predicted by that of their partner.
有人假设，在自闭症特征方面，浪漫伴侣之间的相似性超过了偶然。为了验证这一理论，我们招募了 105 对异性恋伴侣，并研究了自闭症特征（使用自闭症谱系商数（AQ）衡量）、同理心（使用同理心商数（EQ）衡量）和系统化（使用修订后的系统化商数 - 再测版（SQ-R）衡量）的个体内相关性。对于参加实验室的子样本（n=58 对伴侣），我们还通过使用眼神解读测试（RMET）考察了表情理解方面的心理理论，以及通过嵌入式图形任务（EFT）考察了系统化的一个组成部分，即对细节的关注。变量中心分析显示，除了 EQ 之外，所有测量值都存在正的个体内相关性，尽管这些效应仅在未婚夫妇中具有统计学意义，而在已婚/订婚夫妇中则没有。后续分析表明，观察到的伴侣相似性效应可能与人们与比偶然更相似的人配对一致（初始选择），而不是随着时间的推移变得相似（趋同），并寻找自我相似的伴侣（主动选择），而不是通过社会分层过程（社会同质性）以这种方式配对。此外，在元分析水平上观察到自闭症特征的显著个体内相关性。然而，应该注意的是，元分析效应大小估计值较小（r=0.153），表明一个人在自闭症表型测量得分上的变异只有约 2%可以由其伴侣的得分预测。
