Table 1.
Characteristics of the sample: men and women with autism.
| Mean (SD) [range]a | Men (M) (n = 30) | Women (F) (n = 30) | Statisticsb | Effect size (d) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 27.2 (7.3) | 27.8 (7.6) | ns (p = 0.761) | 0.08 |
| Verbal IQ | 114.3 (12.9) | 115.8 (13.1) | ns (p = 0.656) | 0.12 |
| Performance IQ | 113.3 (15.0) | 110.4 (16.7) | ns (p = 0.492) | 0.18 |
| Full-scale IQ | 115.4 (14.1) | 114.9 (13.8) | ns (p = 0.904) | 0.04 |
| ADI-Rc | ||||
| Reciprocal social | 18.0 (5.1) [10–27] | 16.4 (4.3) [11–26] | ns (p = 0.215) | 0.34 |
| Communication | 15.3 (3.5) [8–22] | 13.1 (3.9) [8–22] | M > F (p = 0.029) | 0.59 |
| RRSB | 5.6 (2.5) [2–10] | 4.3 (1.7) [2–8] | M > F (p = 0.023) | 0.60 |
| ADOS | ||||
| Social communication | 8.5 (5.0) [1–17] | 4.3 (3.6) [0–13] | M > F (p < 0.001) | 1.04 |
| RRSB | 1.0 (1.0) [0–4] | 0.1 (0.3) [0–1] | M > F (p < 0.001) | 1.25 |
| Autism Spectrum Quotient | 32.7 (7.3) | 37.5 (6.7) | F > M (p = 0.010) | 0.69 |
| RMET correct score | 22.8 (5.8) | 23.4 (6.2) | ns (p = 0.700) | 0.10 |
| CF | −0.168 (0.388) | 0.168 (0.294) | F > M (p < 0.001) | 0.98 |
| Go/No-Go taskd | ||||
| Sensitivity, d′ | 3.60 (0.67) | 3.71 (1.16) | ns (p = 0.660) | 0.12 |
| Response bias, C | −0.027 (0.198) | 0.029 (0.232) | ns (p = 0.327) | 0.26 |
| Beck Depression Inventory | 14.5 (10.3) | 14.6 (9.0) | ns (p = 0.958) | 0.01 |
| Beck Anxiety Inventory | 14.1 (9.9) | 15.5 (10.1) | ns (p = 0.580) | 0.14 |
SD: standard deviation; ns: non-significant (p > 0.05, two-tailed, not corrected for multiple comparisons); ADI-R: Autism Diagnostic Interview–Revised; RRSB: repetitive, restrictive and stereotyped behaviour; ADOS: Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule.
a
For ADI-R and ADOS scores.
b
Independent-samples t-tests, except Mann–Whitney tests for ADOS scores (distribution significantly deviant from normal).
c
n = 30 for men, n = 28 for women (n = 2 data missing due to childhood caregiver unavailability).
d
n = 29 for men (n = 1 data missing due to technical failure), n = 30 for women.