Brinkert, Jana;
(2021)
Perceptual and Cognitive Load in Autism – An Electrophysiological and Behavioural Approach.
Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London).
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Abstract
Attention is a fundamentally important cognitive process and is required to efficiently navigate the world. Whilst altered attentional processes have been frequently observed in autistic people the differences seen suggest that attentional processes are different, however not necessarily deficient. In fact, aspects of superior visual perceptual ability and enhanced perceptual capacity have frequently been reported. The goal of the present thesis was to extend our knowledge of enhanced perceptual capacity under the framework of the Load Theory and to extend the findings to more active components of attention. To address this aim, the first three empirical studies I conducted, assessed selective and executive attention in autism and in a fourth study I investigated the feasibility of a neurofeedback intervention. Specifically, in Chapter 2, I used behavioural markers of congruency effects to consider whether cognitive capacity would be increased for autistic people, analogous to the enhanced perceptual capacity previously reported. In Chapter 3, I investigated electrophysiological aspects of visual working memory capacity and filtering efficiency. The findings were further expanded upon in Chapter 4 by directly contrasting visual working memory capacity and perceptual capacity using electrophysiological markers. Finally, I sought to assess whether practical steps could be taken to address altered attention experienced by autistic adults. The feasibility of an online neurofeedback intervention was investigated to assess whether aspects of attention and mental health could be improved through the training programme (Chapter 5). The findings of the thesis were then summarised and further discussed, highlighting the contribution to the autism attention literature and offering practical recommendations to harness attentional strengths in autism.
| Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Qualification: | Ph.D |
| Title: | Perceptual and Cognitive Load in Autism – An Electrophysiological and Behavioural Approach |
| Event: | UCL (University College London |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | Copyright © The Author 2021. Original content in this thesis is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) Licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/). Any third-party copyright material present remains the property of its respective owner(s) and is licensed under its existing terms. Access may initially be restricted at the author’s request. |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education > IOE - Psychology and Human Development |
| URI: | https://discovery-pp.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10134855 |
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