Unit 0
Scientific Foundations & Research Methods
How psychologists study the mind, and why that matters when you read claims about autism.
Modern Psychological Perspectives
Perspectives (biological, cognitive, socio-cultural)
Autism makes the most sense when you combine perspectives. Biology explains sensory and neural differences, the cognitive view explains monotropism and executive function, and the socio-cultural view explains why so much distress comes from environments built for non-autistic people (the double empathy problem).
Behavioral (Watson, Skinner)
Behavioral perspective & ABA
Applied Behavior Analysis grew out of Skinner's operant conditioning. Many autistic adults criticize compliance-focused versions for teaching masking, which research links to burnout and poor mental health.
Research Ethics
Informed consent & ethics
Autism research has a history of being done on autistic people rather than with them. Modern ethics push for participatory research, where autistic people help design studies, and for accessible consent forms.
Experimental Variables
Operational definitions
Terms like 'autistic burnout' or 'rejection sensitivity' only became researchable once scientists defined them in measurable ways. Raymaker et al. (2020) built a definition of burnout from autistic people's own descriptions.
Non-Experimental Research
Case studies vs. surveys
Personal stories (like the Personal Notes on this site) are closer to case studies: rich but not generalizable. Large surveys find patterns, like autistic people being far more likely to experience suicidal thoughts, but can't prove cause.
Statistical Concepts
Correlation is not causation & statistical significance
A statistic like '7 times more likely' is a correlation. It tells you a risk is real, not what causes it. Good essays say when a study doesn't exist, like the honest note in 'Not Supposed To, Right?'.
These connections are study aids, not medical advice. Some ideas (like the excitation/inhibition theory) are still being researched.