Autistic traits are associated with enhanced working memory capacity for abstract visual stimuli.

Researchers tested 144 young adults and found that people with more autistic traits performed better on visual memory tasks involving abstract patterns. The advantage was strongest when the task relied purely on visual memory, but disappeared when people could use other memory strategies. This suggests autistic individuals may have enhanced visual memory abilities, particularly for detailed visual information.

This study examined whether autistic traits enhance visual working memory capacity in 144 young adults (mean age 22 years). Participants completed a visual matrix task involving recall of black-and-white chequered patterns in two conditions: abstract 'low semantic' and 'high semantic' versions. Higher autistic traits, particularly in attention to detail, attention switching, and communication domains, were associated with better performance specifically on the low semantic task that relies primarily on visual working memory. This advantage disappeared in the high semantic condition where participants could use additional memory strategies, suggesting the benefit is specifically visual in nature.

Visual memory strengths could be incorporated into educational strategies and therapeutic interventions for autistic individuals. Tasks requiring detailed visual processing may be areas of relative strength to build upon in skill development programs.

Single study with university-aged sample only. Study type not specified in metadata. No control group mentioned. Unclear if findings generalize to clinical autism populations or other age groups.

We tested whether the association between autistic traits and enhanced performance in visual-perceptual tasks extends to visual working memory capacity. We predicted that any positive effect of autistic traits on visual working memory performance would be greatest during domain-specific tasks, in which visual resources must be relied upon. We used a visual 'matrix' task, involving recall of black-and-white chequered patterns which increased in size, to establish participants' capacity (span). We assessed 144 young adults' (M = 22.0 years, SD = 2.5) performance on abstract, 'low semantic' versus 'high semantic' task versions.

The latter offered multimodal coding due to the availability of long-term memory resources that could supplement visual working memory. Participants also completed measures of autistic traits and trait anxiety. Autistic traits, especially Attention to Detail, Attention Switching, and Communication, positively predicted visual working memory capacity, specifically in the low semantic task, which relies on visual working memory resources. Autistic traits are therefore associated with enhanced processing and recall of visual information.

The benefit is removed, however, when multimodal coding may be incorporated, emphasising the visual nature of the benefit. Strengths in focused attention to detail therefore appear to benefit domain-specific visual working memory task performance.