Author: Madeline Rainwater Major: Communication Disorders

My name is Madeline Rainwater, and I am a senior at the University of Arkansas. I am majoring in Communication Disorders and minoring in Human Development and Family Sciences. In the fall of 2019, I will begin graduate school for Speech-Language Pathology at the University of North Texas. Since my junior year, I have been working with Dr. Kimberly Frazier on my honors research project: Deception and Theory of Mind in Typically Developing Children and Children with Autism. The study involves typically developing children and children with autism between the ages of nine and ten. The information gained from this study will offer students and professionals interested in this field a better understanding of how children with autism spectrum disorder develop Theory of Mind (ToM). ToM centers on one’s ability to understand another person’s beliefs, knowledge, emotions, and intentions; this understanding is then used to navigate social situations appropriately. The recognition of others’ own thoughts as a result of ToM is typically seen around the age of four (Sussman, 2006); however, in children diagnosed with autism, this may not develop until much later. This cognitive delay leads to social impairment, which is a key characteristic of autism spectrum disorders.  

During this final semester of my undergraduate career, I was finally able to put my research into action. Getting my IRB approval took the entire fall semester, so once the spring started Dr. Frazier and I were eager to begin collecting data. We began recruiting participants toward the beginning of February. Participants were to include both typically developing children and children with autism, all between ages nine and ten. Recruitment of participants occurred through local support groups and social media. Testing would include two children at a time. When the children entered for testing, I was going to tell them we were going to play a board game. I was to place the game on a table behind a barrier. I then was to tell the children I had to leave the room briefly, but not to peek at the game and to wait for me to return to explain how to play. Prior to the study beginning, one typically developing child was specifically instructed to peek at the game while the I was gone. After the child peeked, they were supposed to ask the other participant to not tell the me about the peeking. Through video recording equipment, I was going to be able to observe this interaction. Once the I reentered the room, I planned to ask the children if anyone peeked, and wait for them to either admit to or deny breaking the rules.  

Due to my project’s very specific participant criteria, recruitment proved to be much more difficult than imagined. I ended up with one child with autism and two children who were typically developing. This low participant pool caused a problem for me when trying to analyze the small amount of available data. Ultimately, I decided to analyze my data on two separate graphs. The following categories were used for graph one (Participants’ Responses): verbal lie, verbal truth, nonverbal lie, and nonverbal truth. The following categories were used for graph two (Participants’ Reactions): discomfort during lie, discomfort during truth, comfort during lie, and comfort during truth. The child with autism told a nonverbal lie and displayed discomfort. One typically developing child told a verbal truth and displayed comfort. Another typically developing child told a nonverbal truth and displayed discomfort.  

Findings suggest that some children with autism between nine and ten have the ability to lie effectively and understand when it might be socially expected to do so, such as concealing a peer’s wrongdoing. Conversely, findings suggest that typically developing children between nine and ten show less regard for concealing a peer’s wrongdoing, and more readily confess when confronted. Based on research that children with autism have significant delays in ToM development, it is understood that they might struggle with the concept of lying overall. However, various studies have shown that some children with autism can and do tell lies in order to hide a wrongdoing. Data collected from this study is in line with this research; children with autism between ages nine and ten might express nonverbal signs of discomfort (shifting gaze, shaking head quickly), but likely will not confess to misbehavior. Typically developing children between ages nine and ten might have a more advanced development of ToM, however, this development does not necessarily lead them to abide by social expectations. 

In April of this semester, my research was accepted to the COEHP Honors Research Symposium. I was able to share my study and findings with others outside my field and provide a small look into a social aspect of autism. After presenting my work to various judges and attendees, Dr. Michelle Gray awarded me second place for my overall content and presentation. I was so excited that I was able to represent the Communication Disorders program well. Through this entire research process, I learned the importance of networking (for participant recruitment) and how to be flexible when research does not go how it was expected. I am grateful for the Honors College and Dr. Frazier for giving me this incredible learning opportunity, and I am looking forward to potentially continuing research in another area once I begin graduate school.