Empathising–systemising theory

The empathising–systemising (E–S) theory is a theory on the psychological basis of <a href="/facts/Autism/6MTwMNoJ">autism</a> and <a href="/facts/Sex_differences_in_psychology/7IPSBKdx">male–female neurological differences</a> originally put forward by clinical psychologist <a href="/facts/Simon_Baron-Cohen/s23hhG3n">Simon Baron-Cohen</a>. It classifies individuals based on abilities in <a href="/facts/Empathic/Pak5Dvfh">empathic</a> thinking (E) and systematic thinking (S). It attempts to explain the social and communication symptoms in <a href="/facts/Autism_spectrum_disorders/bzouRyMI">autism spectrum disorders</a> as deficits and delays in empathy combined with intact or superior systemising.
According to Baron-Cohen, the E–S theory has been tested using the <a href="/facts/Empathy_Quotient/p8sHRtKd">Empathy Quotient</a> (EQ) and Systemising Quotient (SQ), developed by him and colleagues, and generates five different '<a href="/facts/Brain/EKla9NkJ">brain</a> types' depending on the presence or absence of discrepancies between their scores on E or S. E–S profiles show that the profile E>S is more common in females than in males, and the profile S>E is more common in males than in females. Baron-Cohen and associates assert that E–S theory is a better predictor than gender of who chooses <a href="/facts/STEM_subjects/NAsAI1nG">STEM subjects</a>.
The E–S theory has been extended into the extreme male brain (EMB) theory of autism and <a href="/facts/Asperger_syndrome/TUpuw6Nn">Asperger syndrome</a>, which are associated in the E–S theory with below-average empathy and average or above-average systemising.
Baron-Cohen's studies and theory have been questioned on multiple grounds. For instance, a 1998 study on autism found that overrepresentation of engineers could depend on a <a href="/facts/Socioeconomic_status/5rVhvE8b">socioeconomic status</a> rather than E–S differences.

Empathising–systemising theory open-in-new

Empathising–systemising theory