Overcoming the Double Empathy Problem Within Pairs of Autistic and Non-autistic Adults Through the Contemplation of Serious Literature
This publication is included in the Autistic Autism Scholarship Project. three authors of this publication are identified as autistic in the project.
About the autistic author markerChapple, M., Davis, P., Billington, J., Myrick, J. A., Ruddock, C., & Corcoran, R. (2021). Overcoming the Double Empathy Problem Within Pairs of Autistic and Non-autistic Adults Through the Contemplation of Serious Literature. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 708375-708375. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.708375
This publication is integrated into AutiHub through:
Authors
Abstract
Recent research based on the needs of the autistic community has explored the frequent social misunderstandings that arise between autistic and non-autistic people, known as the double empathy problem. Double empathy understandings require both groups to respect neurodiversity by focussing on individuality across groups. This study aimed to explore how literature, through its ability to uncover nuanced emotional response differences between readers, could facilitate double empathy understandings within pairs of autistic and non-autistic adults. A longitudinal, qualitative design was used, with 4 gender-matched pairs. Participants read Of Mice and Men for 1 week, whilst completing a structured, reflective diary. This was followed by 4 one-hour paired reading sessions, where pairs discussed the book and their reflections in depth. Participants were then invited to a final one-on-one interview to discuss their thoughts and experiences of the paired reading sessions. Thematic and literary analysis of the session and interview data revealed four themes (1) The Book as Social Oil; (2) From a World of Difference to a World of Affinity; (3) Emotional Intelligence: From Thinking About to Feeling with; and (4) From Overwhelming to Overcoming. All participants reported having achieved an individualised view of one another to explore their nuanced differences. The non-autistic group reported a more sensitive understanding of what it means to be autistic, while the autistic group overcame concerns about non-autistic people stereotyping autism, and instead reported feeling valued and accommodated by their non-autistic partners.
Bibliography cited by this reference
Cited references are imported from external metadata sources when they are available. The list may be partial.
Cited bibliography overview
These indicators describe the bibliography cited by this publication. An author name is counted each time it appears in one cited reference, so the same person can be counted more than once. Names not yet linked to an author already present in AutiHub are treated as unknown, not as non-autistic. Last computed: 2 Oct 2026 14:09.
- With a DOI
- 64
- Without a DOI, from raw bibliography text
- 12
- References with detected author names
- 76 / 76 (100.0%)
- Without detected author names
- 0
- Without a structured title
- 3
- Without a stable identifier
- 10
- References with raw author names still to review
- 0
- References with external metadata lookup issues
- 0
- From DOI or external metadata
- 218
- From validated raw bibliography text
- 0
- Raw names already validated
- 0
- Raw names still to review
- 0
-
Noreen O'Sullivan , Philip Davis , Josie Billington , Victorina Gonzalez-Diaz , Rhiannon Corcoran (2015). “Shall I compare thee”: The neural basis of literary awareness, and its benefits to cognition . Cortex, 73, 144-157. Elsevier BV.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
R. B. Ammons , C. H. Ammons (1962). The Quick Test (QT): Provisional Manual, . Psychological Reports, 11(1), 111-161. SAGE Publications.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Patrycja Kaszynska (2015). Capturing the vanishing point: Subjective experiences and cultural value . Cultural Trends, 24(3), 256-266. Informa UK Limited.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Simon Baron-Cohen (1995). Mindblindness: an essay on autism and theory of mind . Choice Reviews Online, 33(04), 33-2412-33-2412. American Library Association.Crossref
-
Michael Lombardo , Simon Baron-Cohen (2011). The role of the self in mindblindness in autism . Consciousness and Cognition, 20(1), 130-140. Elsevier BV.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Lisa Zunshine (2011). Style Brings in Mental States . Style, 45(2), 349-356. The Pennsylvania State University Press.OpenAlex
-
Simon Baron-Cohen (2002). The extreme male brain theory of autism . Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 6(6), 248-254. Elsevier BV.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Kerrianne E Morrison , Kilee M. DeBrabander , Desiree R Jones , Daniel J Faso , Robert A. Ackerman , Noah Sasson (2020). Outcomes of real-world social interaction for autistic adults paired with autistic compared to typically developing partners . Autism, 24(5), 1067-1080. SAGE Publications.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Damian Milton *Autistic author. Learn more… (2012). On the ontological status of autism: the ‘double empathy problem’ . Disability & Society, 27(6), 883-887. Informa UK Limited.
-
Simon Baron-Cohen (2009). The empathising‐systemising theory of autism: implications for education . Tizard Learning Disability Review, 14(3), 4-13. Emerald.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Eva Maria (Emy) Koopman , Frank Hakemulder (2015). Effects of Literature on Empathy and Self-Reflection: A Theoretical-Empirical Framework . Journal of Literary Theory, 9(1), 79. Walter de Gruyter GmbH.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Winnie W.S. Mak , Yvonne T.Y. Kwok (2010). Internalization of stigma for parents of children with autism spectrum disorder in Hong Kong . Social Science & Medicine, 70(12), 2045-2051. Elsevier BV.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Simon Baron-Cohen , Sally Wheelwright , Richard Skinner , Joanne Martin , Emma Clubley (2001). The Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ): Evidence from Asperger Syndrome/High-Functioning Autism, Males and Females, Scientists and Mathematicians . Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 31(1), 5-17. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Steven K. Kapp *Autistic author. Learn more… , Kristen Gillespie-Lynch , Lauren E. Sherman , Ted Hutman (2013). Deficit, difference, or both? Autism and neurodiversity. Developmental Psychology, 49(1), 59-71. American Psychological Association (APA).
-
Nicholas Chown *Autistic author. Learn more… (2014). More on the ontological status of autism and double empathy . Disability & Society, 29(10), 1672-1676. Informa UK Limited.
-
Josie Billington , Philip Davis , Grace Farrington , Kelda Green , Fiona Magee , Mette Steenberg et al. (2019). Qualitative Methods II: Developing Innovative Qualitative Approaches in Research on Reading and Health . In Reading and Mental Health (pp. 191-240). Springer International Publishing.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Micah L. Mumper , Richard J. Gerrig (2019). How Does Leisure Reading Affect Social Cognitive Abilities? Poetics Today, 40(3), 453-473. Duke University Press.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Kimberly E. Bodner , Christopher R. Engelhardt , Nancy J. Minshew , Diane L. Williams (2015). Making Inferences: Comprehension of Physical Causality, Intentionality, and Emotions in Discourse by High-Functioning Older Children, Adolescents, and Adults with Autism . Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 45(9), 2721-2733. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Alexandra Leedham , Andrew R. Thompson , Richard Smith , Megan Freeth (2020). ‘I was exhausted trying to figure it out’: The experiences of females receiving an autism diagnosis in middle to late adulthood . Autism, 24(1), 135. SAGE Publications.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Damian Milton *Autistic author. Learn more… (2014). Autism: a social and medical history . Disability & Society, 29(6), 991-992. Informa UK Limited.
-
Kristen Bottema-Beutel , Steven K. Kapp *Autistic author. Learn more… , Jessica Nina Lester , Noah Sasson , Brittany N. Hand (2021). Avoiding Ableist Language: Suggestions for Autism Researchers . Autism in Adulthood, 3(1), 18-29. SAGE Publications.
-
Damian Milton *Autistic author. Learn more… , Brett Heasman *Autistic author. Learn more… , Elizabeth Sheppard (2018). Double Empathy . In Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders (pp. 1-8). Springer New York.Type: Book chapter DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4614-6435-8_102273-1 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W4234897114Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Ashley Castleberry (2014). NVivo 10 [software program]. Version 10. QSR International; 2012. American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education, 78(1), 25. Elsevier BV.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Rebecca Brewer , Federica Biotti , Caroline Catmur , Clare Press , Francesca Happé , Richard Cook et al. (2016). Can Neurotypical Individuals Read Autistic Facial Expressions? Atypical Production of Emotional Facial Expressions in Autism Spectrum Disorders . Autism Research, 9(2), 262-271. Wiley.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Sarah N. Rigby , Brenda M. Stoesz , Lorna S. Jakobson (2018). Empathy and face processing in adults with and without autism spectrum disorder . Autism Research, 11(6), 942-955. Wiley.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Lise Mogensen , Jan Mason (2015). The meaning of a label for teenagers negotiating identity: experiences with autism spectrum disorder . Sociology of Health & Illness, 37(2), 255-269. Wiley.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Sarabeth Broder‐Fingert , Camilla Mateo , Katherine E. Zuckerman (2020). Structural Racism and Autism . Pediatrics, 146(3), e2020015420. American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Goffman Erving (1969). Stigma: Notes on the Management of Spoiled Identity . Postgraduate Medical Journal, 45(527), 642-642. Oxford University Press (OUP).OpenAlex
-
Eilidh Cage , Jessica Di Monaco , Victoria Newell (2018). Experiences of autism acceptance and mental health in autistic adults . J Autism Dev Disord, 48(2), 473-484. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Melissa Chapple *Autistic author. Learn more… , Sophie Williams *Autistic author. Learn more… , Josie Billington , Philip Davis , Rhiannon Corcoran (2021). An analysis of the reading habits of autistic adults compared to neurotypical adults and implications for future interventions . Research in Developmental Disabilities, 115, 104003. Elsevier BV.
-
Oren Shtayermman (2009). An exploratory study of the stigma associated with a diagnosis of Asperger’s syndrome: The mental health impact on the adolescents and young adults diagnosed with a disability with a social nature . Journal of Human Behaviour in the Social Environment, 19(3), 298. Informa UK Limited.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Sue Fletcher-Watson , Jonathan Adams *Autistic author. Learn more… , Kabie Brook *Autistic author. Learn more… , Tony Charman , Laura Crane , James Cusack *Autistic author. Learn more… et al. (2019). Making the future together: Shaping autism research through meaningful participation . Autism, 23(4), 943-953. SAGE Publications.AutiHub · Autistic Autism Scholarship Project AutiHub · Documentation center Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
David E. Gray (2002). ‘Everybody just freezes. Everybody is just embarrassed’: felt and enacted stigma among parents of children with high functioning autism . Sociology of Health & Illness, 24(6), 734-749. Wiley.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Sara Green , Christine Davis , Elana Karshmer , Pete Marsh , Benjamin Straight (2005). Living Stigma: The Impact of Labeling, Stereotyping, Separation, Status Loss, and Discrimination in the Lives of Individuals with Disabilities and Their Families . Sociological Inquiry, 75(2), 197-215. Wiley.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Cheryl A Wright , Scott D. Wright , Marissa L Diener , Jacqueline Eaton (2014). Autism spectrum disorder and the applied collaborative approach: a review of community based participatory research and participatory action research . Journal of Autism, 1(1), 1. Herbert Publications PVT LTD.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Victoria Clarke , Virginia Braun (2014). Thematic analysis . In Encyclopedia of Critical Psychology (pp. 1947). Springer New York.Crossref OpenAlex
-
Bruce G. Link , Jo C. Phelan (2001). Conceptualizing Stigma . Annual Review of Sociology, 27(1), 363-385. Annual Reviews.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Catherine J. Crompton , Sonny Hallett *Autistic author. Learn more… , Danielle Ropar , Emma G. Flynn , Sue Fletcher-Watson (2020). ‘I never realised everybody felt as happy as I do when I am around autistic people’: A thematic analysis of autistic adults’ relationships with autistic and neurotypical friends and family . Autism, 24(6), 1438-1448. SAGE Publications.
-
Catherine J. Crompton , Danielle Ropar , Claire VM Evans-Williams *Autistic author. Learn more… , Emma G. Flynn , Sue Fletcher-Watson (2020). Autistic peer-to-peer information transfer is highly effective . Autism, 24(7), 1704-1712. SAGE Publications.
-
Catherine J. Crompton , Martha Sharp , Harriet Axbey *Autistic author. Learn more… , Sue Fletcher-Watson , Emma G. Flynn , Danielle Ropar (2020). Neurotype-Matching, but Not Being Autistic, Influences Self and Observer Ratings of Interpersonal Rapport . Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 586171. Frontiers Media SA.
-
Gemma M. Griffith , Vasiliki Totsika , Susie Nash , Richard P. Hastings (2012). ‘I just don’t fit anywhere’: support experiences and future support needs of individuals with Asperger syndrome in middle adulthood . Autism, 16(5), 532-546. SAGE Publications.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Noah Sasson , Daniel J. Faso , Jack Nugent , Sarah Lovell , Daniel P. Kennedy , Ruth B. Grossman (2017). Neurotypical Peers are Less Willing to Interact with Those with Autism based on Thin Slice Judgments . Scientific Reports, 7(1), 40700. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Kilee M. DeBrabander , Kerrianne E. Morrison , Desiree R Jones , Daniel J. Faso , Mike Chmielewski , Noah Sasson (2019). Do First Impressions of Autistic Adults Differ Between Autistic and Nonautistic Observers? Autism in Adulthood, 1(4), 250-257. SAGE Publications.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Raymond A. Mar , Keith Oatley (2008). The Function of Fiction is the Abstraction and Simulation of Social Experience . Perspectives on Psychological Science, 3(3), 173-192. SAGE Publications.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Rosanna Edey , Jennifer Cook , Rebecca Brewer , Mark H. Johnson , Geoffrey Bird , Clare Press (2016). Interaction takes two: Typical adults exhibit mind-blindness towards those with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 125(7), 879-885. American Psychological Association (APA).Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Elizabeth Sheppard , Dhanya Pillai , Genevieve Tze-Lynn Wong , Danielle Ropar , Peter Mitchell (2016). How Easy is it to Read the Minds of People with Autism Spectrum Disorder? Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 46(4), 1247-1254. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Goffman (1990). B25 Stigma: Notes on the management of spoiled identity..Type: OtherCrossref
-
Sydney H. Kinnear , Bruce G. Link , Michelle S. Ballan , Ruth L. Fischbach (2016). Understanding the Experience of Stigma for Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and the Role Stigma Plays in Families’ Lives . Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 46(3), 942-953. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Eleanor Longden , Philip Davis , Josie Billington , Sofia Lampropoulou , Grace Farrington , Fiona Magee et al. (2015). Shared Reading: assessing the intrinsic value of a literature-based health intervention . Medical Humanities, 41(2), 113-120. BMJ.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Laura Foran Lewis (2016). Exploring the Experience of Self-Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder in Adults . Archives of Psychiatric Nursing, 30(5), 575-580. Elsevier BV.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Brett Heasman *Autistic author. Learn more… , Alex Gillespie (2018). Perspective-taking is two-sided: Misunderstandings between people with Asperger’s syndrome and their family members . Autism, 22(6), 740-750. SAGE Publications.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
S. A. Hassani , M. Oemisch , M. Balcarras , S. Westendorff , S. Ardid , M. A. van der Meer et al. (2017). A computational psychiatry approach identifies how alpha-2A noradrenergic agonist Guanfacine affects feature-based reinforcement learning in the macaque . Scientific Reports, 7(1), 40606-40606. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.OpenAlex
-
Brett Heasman *Autistic author. Learn more… , Alex Gillespie (2019). Neurodivergent intersubjectivity: Distinctive features of how autistic people create shared understanding . Autism, 23(4), 910-921. SAGE Publications.
-
Ida (2020). Multiplicity and neurodiversity – exploring potential in Deleuzoguattarian social theory for furthering a paradigm shift . The neurodiversity reader, 78.Type: OtherCrossref
-
Steven K. Kapp *Autistic author. Learn more… (2020). Autistic community and the neurodiversity movement: Stories from the frontline . Springer Singapore.
-
Victoria Clarke , Virginia Braun (2014). Thematic Analysis . In Encyclopedia of Critical Psychology (pp. 1947-1952). Springer New York.OpenCitations
-
Hannah Pickard , Francesca Happé , Will Mandy (2018). Navigating the social world: The role of social competence, peer victimisation and friendship quality in the development of social anxiety in childhood . Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 60, 1-10. Elsevier BV.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Glenn Wilson (1996). Mindblindness—an essay on autism and theory of mind . Personality and Individual Differences, 20(2), 278-279. Elsevier BV.OpenAlex
-
Xiaoli Liao , Xianyang Lei , Yamin Li (2019). Stigma among parents of children with autism: A literature review . Asian Journal of Psychiatry, 45, 88-94. Elsevier BV.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Simon Baron-Cohen (1999). The Extreme Male-Brain Theory of Autism . In Neurodevelopmental Disorders (pp. 390-418). The MIT Press.OpenAlex
-
Jane Ritchie , Liz Spencer (2010). Qualitative data analysis for applied policy research . In Analyzing qualitative data (pp. 173-194). Taylor & Francis.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Jude Robinson , Josie Billington , Ellie Gray , Melissa Chapple *Autistic author. Learn more… (2019). Qualitative Methodologies I: Using Established Qualitative Methods in Research on Reading and Health . In Reading and Mental Health (pp. 155-190). Springer International Publishing.Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
-
Michael McCreadie , Damian Milton *Autistic author. Learn more… (2020). Autism: understanding behaviour . In The neurodiversity reader (pp. 159).Type: Book chapter OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W3093220098Crossref OpenAlex
-
Damian Milton *Autistic author. Learn more… (2020). Neurodiversity past and present – an introduction to the neurodiversity reader . In The neurodiversity reader (pp. 1).Type: Book chapter OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W3092719415Crossref OpenAlex
-
Milton (2020). B50 The neurodiversity reader..Type: OtherCrossref
-
Mueller (2020). From neuronormativity to neurodiversity: Changing perspectives on autism . The neurodiversity reader, 94.Type: OtherCrossref
-
Murray (2020). Neurodiversity is for everyone . The neurodiversity reader, 105.Type: OtherCrossref
-
Amy Pearson *Autistic author. Learn more… , Kieran Rose *Autistic author. Learn more… (2021). A Conceptual Analysis of Autistic Masking: Understanding the Narrative of Stigma and the Illusion of Choice . Autism in Adulthood, 3(1), 52-60. SAGE Publications.
-
Singer (2016). NeuroDiversity: The Birth of an Idea . Neurodiversity: The birth of an idea..Type: OtherCrossref
-
Spense (2020). ‘Zero tolerance’ of black autistic boys: are schools failing to recognise the needs of African Caribbean boys with a diagnosis of autism? The neurodiversity reader, 189.Type: OtherCrossref
-
Steinbeck (1937). Of Mice and Men . Of Mice and Men..Type: OtherCrossref
-
Steinbeck (1952). B68 East of Eden..Type: OtherCrossref
-
Waltz (2013). Autism a Social and Medical History. Autism a social and medical history..Type: OtherCrossref
-
Zunshine (2011). Style brings in mental states. Style, 45(2), 349.Type: Other DOI: 10.5325/style.45.2.349Crossref