Brief Report: Examining the Link Between Autistic Traits and Compulsive Internet Use in a Non-Clinical Sample

Individuals with autism spectrum disorders or autistic traits may profit from Internet and computer-mediated interactions, but there is concern about their Internet use becoming compulsive. This study investigated the link between autistic traits and Internet use in a 2-wave longitudinal study with...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of autism and developmental disorders 2012-10, Vol.42 (10), p.2252-2256
Main Authors: Finkenauer, Catrin, Pollmann, Monique M. H., Begeer, Sander, Kerkhof, Peter
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
At Risk Persons
Autism
Autism Spectrum Disorders
Autistic Disorder - psychology
Behavior Problems
Behavioral Science and Psychology
Biological and medical sciences
Brief Report
Child and School Psychology
Child clinical studies
Communication
Comparative Analysis
Compulsive Behavior - psychology
Computer Mediated Communication
Correlation
Developmental disorders
Female
Gender Differences
Humans
Infantile autism
Internet
Longitudinal Studies
Male
Medical sciences
Neurosciences
Pathological Internet Use
Pediatrics
Pervasive Developmental Disorders
Psychology
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychopathology. Psychiatry
Public Health
Severity (of Disability)
Sex Factors
Social interaction
Symptoms (Individual Disorders)
Vocabulary Development
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Description
Summary:Individuals with autism spectrum disorders or autistic traits may profit from Internet and computer-mediated interactions, but there is concern about their Internet use becoming compulsive. This study investigated the link between autistic traits and Internet use in a 2-wave longitudinal study with a non-clinical community sample ( n  = 390). As compared to people with less autistic traits, people with more autistic traits did not report a higher frequency of Internet use, but they were more prone to compulsive Internet use. For women, more autistic traits predicted an increase in compulsive Internet use over time. These results suggest that, despite its appeal for people with autistic traits, the Internet carries the risk of compulsive use.
ISSN:0162-3257
1573-3432
DOI:10.1007/s10803-012-1465-4