Reading other people: psychological mechanisms and differences in autism

Facial expressions and bodily movements carry a wealth of cues signalling our thoughts and feelings to others (whether or not we intend for this to happen) but there are considerable individual differences in peoples’ ability to “read” these cues. I will outline two sources of individual differences in the ability to read other people. I will argue that one’s own body movements influences the interpretation of the movements of others, and that the clarity of one’s own emotional experiences influences the clarity with which we attribute emotions to others. Second, I will propose that autistic and non-autistic people often experience challenges with reading each others’ movements as if their bodies are “speaking different languages”. I will finish by reflecting upon how differences in body movements and emotional experiences contribute to challenges between autistic and non-autistic people in reading each other.