Question

The relatively poor ability of an autistic person to interact socially with others is likely due to?

1) a failure of activation of their fusiform face area by other faces.
2) damage to the ascending visual pathways.
3) visual acuity problems.
4) enhanced activity within their orbitofrontal cortex.
5) an infection involving the corpus callosum.

Answer 1

The poor social interaction ability in autistic individuals is often related to a failure in activating the fusiform face area, which is crucial for face recognition, a condition also known as prosopagnosia or face blindness. The correct option is 1.

Step-by-step explanation:

The relatively poor ability of an autistic person to interact socially with others is likely due to a failure of activation of their fusiform face area by other faces.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impairments in social interaction and communication, and individuals with ASD may have difficulties with social cues and facial recognition.

In the context of face perception, this is linked to a condition called prosopagnosia or face blindness, where a specific region of the brain, the anterior fusiform gyrus of the temporal lobe, fails to properly recognize faces.

This area is fundamentally involved in the recognition of visual stimuli, including faces, and its possible association with memories. The correct option is 1.