The stereotype that those with ASD tend not to see the whole

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Hello,

I think an example of focussing on details versus seeing the bigger picture could be if you are asked by someone (e.g. a boss or a teacher) to do some reading into the decline of birds in urban areas.

Someone who is detailed-focussed may spend a lot of time gathering details on particular bird species and becoming fascinated in how certain bird species are declining in certain cities, but other bird species are going up in certain cities, and gathering information on all the bird species, all the cities, the time-scales it occurred over, etc. This person starts with the topic of population sizes of bird species and moves to greater and greater detail on it.

Someone who focuses on the bigger picture might gather a little information on bird species declining in certain cities, but then read about many bigger topics that are the 'context' of declining bird species, such as weather events, changes in land usage, presence of environmental pollutants such as pesticides, changes in populations of predators, changes in amount of trees, etc. This person starts with the topic of population sizes of bird species and looks at the all the bigger topics that are related to it.

I think both are valid and useful ways of understanding an issue. I'd say we need both types of people in the world!

I think any NT focuses on details on things they're interested in.
Most things aren't worth doing if you don't focus on the details.

I am wondering whether a tendency to be detailed-focussed, and not see the larger context, may make it harder to figure out what's going on in some social situations?

For example, I could imagine a detailed-focussed person may notice someone (e.g. a colleague or housemate) slams a door.
They might wonder what is up with the colleague/housemate, and wonder if they said or did something wrong that day to annoy the colleague/housemate.
But might not realise that it's actually got something to do with the 'bigger picture'/bigger context of what's going in the colleague's/housemate's life (e.g. a problem with their family or their reaction to some politics news)?

I'm not sure if anyone could guess what is wrong with the grumpy colleague/housemate.
But someone who is better at seeing the larger context may be more likely to realise that it could be something to do with the bigger picture of their life, rather than something that happened earlier that day?

So, is seeing the 'bigger picture/context' ('central coherence') possibly somehow related to the ability to guess what is in other people's minds ('theory of mind')?

It's a "loaded" stereotype and wrong!

For Joe90, perhaps an OK-ish viewpoint.

There are two views of a bunch of parts, and their interaction, relative to some function desired.

"Details" folk focus on the parts and their interactions to do a function. "Bigpic" folks focus on the function, what it does and why or why not for a user's use.

The "D's" react to parts, and their interactions, that "do or don't make sense" (will/won't work).

The "B's" react to details that "dont work" towards a function, and variations in functions combinations not considered.

"B's" seeing wrong function, or subfunction, get into the "weeds details" and are criticized for it as "detailers," but they are function concerned actually.

"D's" criticize "airy-fairy" functions arguments that have no bearing on parts and "practical connections" in real world things, but often miiss user's uses details.

"D's" view things as down to earth & practical of parts & pieces.

"B's" view things holistically & often very user theoreticlly.

They are two different styles of viewing stuff, and have trouble "wearing one another's shoes." But:

There is no concept more "practical" than the 'theoretical." And no concept more "theoretical" than the "practical." So they fight.

And no description of the differences ever satisfies them all, including this one ! !