Social Motivation Theories of Autism: Is Insensitivity to Social Reward Really the Problem?

In this presentation from the 2018 Michigan Autism Conference, the speaker examines the Social Motivation Theory of Autism, which suggests that social deficits in individuals with autism may stem from a neurobiological insensitivity to social rewards. The talk reviews evidence both supporting and contradicting this theory, drawing from various studies exploring socially-mediated reinforcers, comparisons between social and nonsocial reinforcers, and evaluations of social reward.