Autistic people more likely to be atheists

[salvorhardin]

Interesting study, but as Razib notes, just because autistic people are more likely to be atheistic it doesn't imply that atheists are more likely to be autistic.

Key findings:

1) Among two equivalent demographic samples differentiated by autism diagnosis state, the high functioning autistics are much more likely to be atheists.

2) Among a sample of autistics and neurotypicals those who are atheists have the highest “autism quotient.”

Link: http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/gnxp/2011/09/atheism-as-mental-deviance/

[LeftishBrit]

1. I suspect that this relates to the fact that people are often influenced by people around them to be

members of a particular religion; and indeed for many, religious affiliation is as much or more about membership of a social group than about spiritual beliefs.

As autistic people are less subject to social influence, they may be less influenced by religious beliefs common to their surroundings.

I suspect that one might get different results in a place where atheism is common and religious people are in a minority.

Though other explanations are possible; e.g. autistic people's tendency to literalism may make them less easily convinced by the highly metaphorical language and symbolism associated with many religions.

[salvorhardin]

2. I agree about the multiple possible explanations

One thing that bothered me is that they drew their data from the participants of a single internet forum devoted to people with autism, rather than a broader survey.

[Odin2005]

3. Awesome Article, thanks!

[sakabatou]

4. Interesting

I'm autistic and an atheist, but I don't know about others on the spectrum.