Learning in the face of failure

The benefit of autistic traits

Bibliographic Data

ID9619103
AuthorsXiujun Li (0000-0003-2260-6858, School of Psychology Shanghai Normal University Shanghai China), Christopher M Conway (0000-0003-2506-1304, Department of Psychology Grinnell College Grinnell Iowa USA), Shiyi Yin (0000-0002-0167-3341, School of Psychology Shanghai Normal University Shanghai China), Xueping Bai (School of Philosophy and Public Administration Henan University Kaifeng China, corresponding author), Dezhen Xu (0000-0003-0657-4075, School of Psychology Shanghai Normal University Shanghai China, corresponding author)
Year2025
Volume116
Issue3
Pages671-683
Publication date2025-08-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueBritish Journal of Psychology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0007-1269 • E-ISSN: 2044-8295
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/bjop.12786
PMID40195625
OpenAlexW4409273203
LanguageEN
References cited48

This study aims to explore how learning performance differs for non‐diagnosed adults with high and low levels of autistic traits (ATs) for positive versus negative feedback delivered via social and nonsocial stimuli. College student participants were tested on their ability to learn novel words (i.e., Korean characters) in a simple memory experiment incorporating either positive or negative feedback. A 2 (positive feedback vs. negative feedback) × 2 (ATs: high vs. Low) between‐subject design was adopted in both Experiments 1 and 2. Social feedback stimuli were used in Experiment 1 and nonsocial feedback stimuli were used in Experiment 2. The results revealed that individuals with both high and low levels of ATs showed learning for both types of feedback (success and failure) using social and nonsocial stimuli (Experiments 1 and 2, respectively). However, individuals with low levels of ATs learned less from failure than from success, whereas individuals with high levels of ATs showed equivalent learning for failure and success, for both social and nonsocial stimuli. These results suggest that for college students, a benefit of having high levels of ATs is increased resilience and an ability to continue to learn in the face of failure

Cognitive psychology · Developmental psychology · Negative feedback · Psychological resilience · Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder · Autism Spectrum Disorder Research · Behavioral and Psychological Studies · Psychology · Social Psychology

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