The Cognitive Function of Deception in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Successful deception involves understanding and manipulating other people’s mental states. Previous studies have revealed difficulty and developmental delay in the ability to deceive and cognitive dysfunction in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, little is known about the cognitive functions related to deception, especially in children with ASD. Therefore, this study investigated the relationship between deception and cognitive functions in children with ASD. Participants performed an animated deception task and completed a standardized test of cognitive function. Children with ASD showed the same levels of accuracy but significantly longer reaction times than typically developing children regarding successful deception. Children with ASD showed significantly lower scores than typically developing children regarding cognitive functions. Planning score, which requires cognitive flexibility, and age in months were negatively correlated with reaction time in ASD. These results indicate that the difficulties experienced by children with ASD regarding deceiving are related to executive dysfunction.