Research On The Characteristic Of Autistic Children's Affective Decision Making

Autism is a kind of extensive development obstacle which caused by brain dysfunction,and began in the period of infant. Autism is called "the king of special children," so researchers hardly did experimental research on autism children. For them,they face all sorts of decision-making, and it is important in their daily life,but there are few studies about it.In this study,we refer to a hot conception,which is "affective decision making". Affective decision making is a capacity of making valid choice from more than two different kinds of magnitude of values. Using the classic IGT task variant of the affective decision making for the experiment, oberservation and intervention conducted on 5 autistic children aged between 8 to 13, is for the exploration of, by the target of children suffered autism, the characteristics of affective decision making, the possibility to enhance the affective decision making ability, and the factor that affects the affective decision making.Considering the sample size is small, and the subjects are much heterogeneous, the single-subject research design is adopted.In which the prominent reward, prominent punishment and the reminding system are the independent variable, and the frequency to choose the favourable cards is dependent variable, has been applied for this research for the concern of limited sample volume yet great difference between the subjects.We collected imformation,and established baseline data;then introduced prompt system;Withdrew prompt system to inspect the effects of maintenance. In the outstanding reward gambling task, autistic children tending to be beneficial or detrimental card choices,that may be influenced by age, and it shows the phased development characteristics of age.Autistic children's affective decision making abilities and experimental process shows significant differences. Concentration on the information of the card is a main factor that they tend to chose beneficial or detrimental card. Through the establishment of autistic children prompt system after intervention, they change their decision from adverse selection to advantage.According to education it can be improved of autistic children's affective decision making by planning, formal intervention,also education of their parents. Generally speaking, autistic children in prominent rewards and punishment of gambling task of similar results, i.e. to reward and punishment does not affect the sensitivity of the decision-making behavior of autistic children.Summarized by the results from these two researches conducted, we have our conclusions listed below:1. The ability for affective decision making of the autism suffered children is affected by their age.2. The ability for affective decision making of the autism suffered children is not affected by sensative factors as awarding nor pulishment.3. The ability for affective decision making of the autism suffered children can be significantly enhanced by the means of education.4. Guidence for them to the concentration for the key information, when a educational intervention is conducted on the ability for affective decision making of the autism suffered children, can help the autism suffered children for affirmative decision making.