Autism, autistic traits and creativity: a systematic review and meta-analysis
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REVIEW
Autism, autistic traits and creativity: a systematic review and meta‑analysis Pennisi Paola1 · Giallongo Laura2 · Milintenda Giusy2 · Cannarozzo Michela1 Received: 16 December 2019 / Accepted: 5 September 2020 © Marta Olivetti Belardinelli and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2020
Abstract Psychometric, historiometric and psychiatric studies are controversial on a hypothetical link between psychopathology and creativity. In this study, we will try to contribute to this debate by analysing the case of autism. Is there a relationship between autism and creativity? If so, can we find the same relationship in a watered-down form in subjects with autistic traits? In order to answer these questions, we carried out a systematic literature review of the studies on this topic published in the last 10 years. We followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. We also conducted a meta-analysis of data. We found that in the clinical population there are fewer creative performances than in control groups; nonetheless, it is possible to delineate a medium creative profile of subjects with autism. The average creative profile of people with autism shows that they are inhibited in fluency and flexibility, but that they display a high level of detail and a particularly high level of originality in works either generated during tests or created in private time. In particular, the level of detail reached in the latter condition seems to be higher in the autistic population than in the control groups. Better linguistic skills appear to be linked to better creative performances. Linguistic tests, if compared with visual and performative tests, seem to favour the expression of originality in subjects with autism. Although our data on autistic traits are compatible with the hypothesis that a high level of autistic traits is a watered-down replica of the cognitive profile of subjects with autism, we have no sufficient data to support this hypothesis. Keywords Autism · Psychopathology · Creativity · Language · Originality · Autistic traits · Meta-analysis · Systematic review
Introduction
Handling editor: Thomas Lachmann (University of Kaiserslautern). Reviewers: Réka Vágvölgyi (University of Kaiserslautern), SaskiaJaarsveld (University of Kaiserslautern), Andreas A Ioannides(AAISCS, Nikosia), Joana Carmo (University of Lisbon). * Pennisi Paola [email protected] 1
Department of Adult and Childhood, Human Pathology “Gaetano Barresi”; Hospital G. Martino, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria snc, 98125 Messina, Italy
Department of Cognitive Science, Education and Cultural Studies, University of Messina, Via Concezione 6/8, IT, 98121 Messina, Italy
2
The idea of an intimate connection between creativity and psychopathology has been potent since Aristotle’s time. Van Gogh, Alda Merini, Guillaume Apollinaire, Guy de Maupassant, Friedrich Nietzsche and many more: the list of creators who suffered from some form of psychopathology is incredibly long (cf
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