以量相符效應探索一個自閉症學者症候群患者的數字數量表徵

Autistic Savants and the Size Congruity Effect: the Anomalous Case of a Calculating Prodigy

在本研究中，主要目的是想瞭解一個具有計算天才自閉症個案（DJ）的數字數量表徵。透過「量相符效應」（size congruity effect）作業，比較此一計算天才的數字數量表徵與一般大學生的異同。「量相符效應」是數字史促普作業（number Stroop task）的一種現象，指的是受試者因判斷數字形狀大小/數字數量多寡時，會因為兩個向度的量是否大小相符，而產生促進或抑制的反應。DJ的資料顯示：一、DJ 在數字數量多寡判斷作業時，不論是促進或是抑制效果，都高於一般大學生倍數的效果量。二、DJ 在數字形狀大小判斷以及數字數量多寡判斷時的促進或抑制效果，與一般成人促進或抑制模式相仿。但DJ 在判斷數字數量多寡時，因數字形狀大小的量相符產生極大的促進效應；在判斷數字形狀大小時，促進效果量低於一般成人，但抑制的效果量卻大於一般成人。這個資料型態與傳統的自動化理論所預期的結果相反，但是以抑制功能異常或是表徵分化論，卻也無法完全解釋所發現的現象。

In the present study, we adopted a Stroop number task and used the size congruity effect as an index to investigate an autistic person (DJ), a calculating prodigy with a genius for numerical representations and related mechanisms. The size congruity effect results from the interference of numerical and physical size when two digital numbers are compared. Reaction time is faster in the congruent condition, for example, i.e., the numerical larger number is also larger in physical size, as compared to that in the incongruent condition, i.e., the numerically larger number is smaller in physical size. As this congruency effect holds for both physical and numerical comparison, it allows us to segregate the numerical and physical representations in-between and to examine their automaticity in information processing. According to our results, DJ showed a similar pattern for both numerical and physical comparison tasks. While DJ showed a larger facilitation and interference effect on the numerical judgment task, he suffered from greater interference yet didn’t benefit from congruency on the physical judgment task. Although this data contradicts the expectations of traditional automaticity theory, neither the inhibition malfunction hypothesis nor the representation segregation hypothesis can piece together the whole story of DJ’s prodigious talent in calculating.