The effect of diagnostic labels on the affective responses of college students towards peers with 'Asperger's Syndrome' and 'Autism Spectrum Disorder'.
College students feel warmer toward autistic behaviors once any clinical label is attached.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Researchers showed college students short stories about a peer. The peer acted in ways typical of autism. Some stories carried the label "Asperger’s." Others said "Autism Spectrum Disorder." A third group had no label. Students rated how much they liked the peer and how they felt about him.
The team used a random order so each student saw only one version. This design let them test whether the name itself changed attitudes.
What they found
The label made no difference. Students liked the "Asperger" peer the same as the "ASD" peer.
Surprise came when they compared both labeled peers to the plain "typical" peer. The labeled peers earned warmer feelings. Knowing a medical reason softened reactions to the same awkward behavior.
How this fits with other research
Ruiz Calzada et al. (2012) asked families the same question. Relatives also saw the two labels as interchangeable. Parents cared more about getting help than the exact name.
Poppes et al. (2010) watched real classrooms. They found peers often accept shy autistic classmates once they learn the behavior is part of ASD. Mark’s lab result backs that field finding: information reduces blame.
Dyer et al. (2006) looked for behavior gaps between "high-functioning autism" and "Asperger" kids and found none. Their data support the DSM-5 merger that Mark tested.
Why it matters
You can’t control which label a family receives, but you can control how you explain it. When peers hear "autism" or "ASD," their empathy rises. Use that moment. Give classmates, roommates, or co-workers a short, clear sentence that links behavior to neurology. The study says warmth follows the label, so speak up early instead of hiding the diagnosis.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Given the removal of Asperger's Syndrome label in Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fifth Edition, the impact of clinical labels upon the affective responses of college students was explored. A total of 120 college students read two vignettes depicting social interactions typical of a person with autism spectrum disorder. In one vignette, they were informed that the character was a typical college student and in the other, the character had a clinical disorder (either autism spectrum disorder, Asperger's Syndrome or Schizophrenia). Participants' affective responses were measured on the Positive and Negative Affect Scale. No significant differences in positive and negative affective responses were found between the clinical labels. However, affective responses were significantly more positive and less negative towards behaviours associated with clinical groups compared to the typical college student. The implications for students disclosing their diagnosis at university are discussed.
Autism : the international journal of research and practice, 2016 · doi:10.1177/1362361315586721