Social approach in preschool children with Williams syndrome: the role of the face

Dodd, H. F. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1446-5338, Porter, M. A., Peters, G. L. and Rapee, R. M. (2010) Social approach in preschool children with Williams syndrome: the role of the face. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 54 (3). pp. 194-203. ISSN 0964-2633 doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2788.2009.01241.x

Abstract/Summary

Background Indiscriminate social approach behaviour is a salient aspect of the Williams syndrome (WS) behavioural phenotype. The present study examines approach behaviour in preschoolers with WS and evaluates the role of the face in WS social approach behaviour. Method Ten preschoolers with WS (aged 3-6 years) and two groups of typically developing children, matched to the WS group on chronological or mental age, participated in an observed play session. The play session incorporated social and non-social components including two components that assessed approach behaviour towards strangers, one in which the stranger’s face could be seen and one in which the stranger’s face was covered. Results In response to the non-social aspects of the play session, the WS group behaved similarly to both control groups. In contrast, the preschoolers with WS were significantly more willing than either control group to engage with a stranger, even when the stranger’s face could not be seen. Conclusion The findings challenge the hypothesis that an unusual attraction to the face directly motivates social approach behaviour in individuals with WS.

Item Type	Article
URI	https://reading-clone.eprints-hosting.org/id/eprint/33963
Identification Number/DOI	10.1111/j.1365-2788.2009.01241.x
Refereed	Yes
Divisions	No Reading authors. Back catalogue items Life Sciences > School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences > Department of Psychology Life Sciences > School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences > Psychopathology and Affective Neuroscience Life Sciences > School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences > Anxiety and Depression in Young People (AnDY)
Uncontrolled Keywords	Williams syndrome; observation; social approach; sociability; face
Publisher	Wiley
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