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1: Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. 2006 Jul;30(5):865-72. Epub 2006 Mar 7.Click here to read Links

The hyper-systemizing, assortative mating theory of autism.

Baron-Cohen S.

Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Douglas House, 18b Trumpington Road, Cambridge, CB2 2AH, UK. sb205@cam.ac.uk

The hyper-systemizing theory of autism proposes that the systemizing mechanism is set too high in people with autism. As a result, they can only cope with highly lawful systems, and cannot cope with systems of high variance or change (such as the social world of other minds). They appear 'change-resistant'. This proposal extends the extreme male brain theory of autism. Finally, evidence is reviewed for autism being the genetic result of assortative mating of two high systemizers.

PMID: 16519981 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]