Subconscious Social Interaction Brain Test

Post Reply New Topic

In the show Through the Wormhole, with Morgan Freeman, Season 3, Episode 8 "Mysteries of the Subconscious"

They had a test where a group of people had to solve a problem by communicating with each other. They had accelerometers on their body to detect non verbal social interactions. With most people the subconscious part of the brain sends signals to the part of the brain that controls body movement. They can do this automatically with out thinking about it.

What if they did this test with a group of NTs and Aspies? It is my idea that if any of the aspies were using non verbal social communication, they would not be using their subconscious part of their brain. Instead, they may be using the visual, creative or memory part. Maybe an aspie has to remember certain gestures, and perform them on purpose. I would do this test.

Some people say, someone used to have Aspergers symptoms, but not anymore, thus throwing off a test on paper. My idea on that is, they are emulating NTs by copying behaviors, but when these behaviors are being performed, they are not using the same parts of the brain. The core of Aspergers is not what you can look like, but how you think.

I'd suspect your theory is correct. I'm sure for us it would not be subconscious.

also IMHO asperger's cant go away. Either they didn't have it in the first place or they learned to compensate.

Actually I just realized that I do something similar. most people swing there arms while walking. Many aspies, myself included, dont do this naturally. Once people started making fun of me for the way I walked I learned to force myself to do it. As time went by I got better and it takes way less brainpower to do it but it's still not subconscious.

I agree with both you and DaBeef.

This is very interesting. i have Asperger's and have noticed that i have to think consciously when making non-verbal movements, such as hand gestures and eye-contact. However, after ingesting alcohol (wine), my movements are slightly more "natural", ie i don't have to think as much, the body moves on its own. However, alcohol or not, i never feel completely natural.

Not sure about me. I think I have always had a lot of instinctive body language, such as mouth grimacing when I cringe, narrowing eyes when feeling hatred, hands to face when shocked and many, many more.