Unique Internet Search Strategies of Individuals With Self-Stated Autism: Quantitative Analysis of Search Engine Users' Investigative Behaviors.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Although autism is often characterized in literature by the presence of repetitive behavior, in structured decision tasks, individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have been found to examine more options in a given time period than controls.

Objective

We aimed to examine whether this investigative tendency emerges in information searches conducted via the internet.

Methods

In total, 1746 search engine users stated that they had ASD in 2019. This group's naturally occurring responses following 1491 unique general queries and 78 image queries were compared to those of all other users of the search engine. The main dependent measure was scrolled distance, which denoted the extent to which additional results were scanned beyond the initial results presen

SUBMITTER: Yechiam E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8292935 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature