Why Are Autistic People So Generous with Strangers?

"The Research: Independent studies across three countries demonstrated the same thing: autistic adults are just as generous with their loved ones as non-autistic adults, and significantly more generous with strangers. And, a just-published study shows that this is not because they are "simply doing the same thing rigidly" or "don't understand the value of money." Well-Matched Samples, Careful Design Researchers at University College London recruited 37 autistic adults (all with formal clinical diagnoses) and 38 non-autistic adults."

"The groups were carefully matched on age, gender, and IQ at slightly above average-meaning any differences couldn't be explained by intelligence or demographics. The only major difference was that autistic participants scored much higher on the Autism Quotient questionnaire, as would be expected. Participants completed a well-established economic task called the Social Value Orientation (SVO) questionnaire. Here's how it worked: they were given money to split between themselves and another person, choosing from nine different distribution options on a slider."

Autistic adults gave significantly more money to strangers than non-autistic adults while both groups showed equal generosity toward close others. Participants included 37 clinically diagnosed autistic adults and 38 well-matched non-autistic adults, controlled for age, gender, and IQ. The task used was the Social Value Orientation questionnaire, where participants chose allocations across multiple social distances from closest person to a stranger. Analyses excluded repetitive responding and undervaluing money as explanations for prosocial choices. The pattern of results indicates consistent, enhanced prosocial behavior among autistic adults, likely motivated by fairness considerations.

Read at Psychology Today