Unpacking the Social Motivation Theory of Autism: Assumptions, Evidence, and Challenges

Abstract

This review critically evaluates evidence in favor of and against the social motivation theory of autism (SMT), which posits that social symptoms of autism arise from neurobiological differences within the reward system and its processing of social stimuli (Chevallier et al., 2012). These neurobiological differences are thought to lead to atypical social motivation, which in turn shapes social attention, social learning, and ultimately social cognition and behaviour. Accordingly, this thesis examines three core assumptions underlying the SMT: (1) autistic individuals have atypical social motivation (2) atypical social motivation reliably precedes atypical social cognition, and (3) oxytocin exerts a causal influence on social motivation in autism. To address these assumptions, we systematically assess the consistency and methodological quality of the existing literature. We aim to contribute to this area of research in three key ways. First, by providing an up-to-date synthesis of the evidence relevant to these three core assumptions. Second, this review extends beyond previous reviews by integrating evidence from studies that test the causal role of oxytocin, a central yet understudied component in reviews of this theory. Finally, wherever possible, we attempt to provide recommendations to guide future empirical work in this field.