Skip to Main Content
 

Global Search Box

 
 
 
 

Files

File List


CSUFINALTHESIS2016.pdf (605.69 KB)

ETD Abstract Container

Abstract Header

Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia (RSA) in Adults with Possible Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Symptoms

Bowers, Arielle
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4540-6544
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=csu1463509490

Abstract Details

2016, Master of Arts in Psychology, Cleveland State University, College of Sciences and Health Professions.
Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are a group of developmental disorders, which are becoming a major health concern within the US. According to The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.; DSM–5; American Psychiatric Association, 2013) an ASD includes the following features: continuous impairments associated with social communicative and interactive skills, replication of specific, patterned behaviors and/or attentiveness to specific interests. Recent psychophysiological research has looked at how high and low respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) activity may be related to a lack of social communicative skills relating to social cognition, which are hallmark features of individuals who have been diagnosed with an ASD (Porges et al., 2013). These missing social cognitive skills such as empathy and emotion recognition skills can have detrimental effects on an individual’s life and how they interpret the social world around them. The current study looked at RSA activity in a community sample of adults. The study aimed to clarify if there was a predicative relationship between PNS indices and ASD symptoms, if there was relationship between PNS indices and social cognition, and if social cognition had a mediating effect on baseline RSA activity. The results found that within this sample there was not a predictive relationship between PNS indices and ASD symptoms, PNS indices and social cognition, and that social cognitive skills did not mediate participants’ baseline RSA activity. The results might aid in improving future research on this topic. Thus allowing researchers to work with clinicians to work on improving the empathic skills of individuals with symptoms of an ASD by using PNS indices, social cognitive measures, and diagnostic and intervention tools.
Ilya Yaroslavsky , Ph.D. (Committee Chair)
Boaz Kahana, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Christopher France, Psy.D. (Committee Member)
46 p.
Psychology
respiratory sinus arrhythmia; ASD symptoms; social cognition; PNS indices

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Bowers, A. (2016). Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia (RSA) in Adults with Possible Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Symptoms [Master's thesis, Cleveland State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=csu1463509490

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Bowers, Arielle. Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia (RSA) in Adults with Possible Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Symptoms . 2016. Cleveland State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=csu1463509490.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Bowers, Arielle. "Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia (RSA) in Adults with Possible Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Symptoms ." Master's thesis, Cleveland State University, 2016. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=csu1463509490

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

csu1463509490
336
© 2016, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Cleveland State University and OhioLINK.