Hostname: page-component-745bb68f8f-cphqk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-02-02T04:19:44.206Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Calendar calculating in savants with autism and healthy calendar calculators

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 October 2008

A. M. Dubischar-Krivec ,
N. Neumann ,
F. Poustka ,
C. Braun ,
N. Birbaumer  and
S. Bölte
A. M. Dubischar-Krivec*
Affiliation:
Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology, Eberhard Karls University, Tübingen, Germany
N. Neumann
Affiliation:
Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology, Eberhard Karls University, Tübingen, Germany
F. Poustka
Affiliation:
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, J. W. Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
C. Braun
Affiliation:
Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology, Eberhard Karls University, Tübingen, Germany
N. Birbaumer
Affiliation:
Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology, Eberhard Karls University, Tübingen, Germany Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCSS), Ospedale San Camillo, Venezia Lido, Italy
S. Bölte
Affiliation:
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, J. W. Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
*
*Address for correspondence: A. M. Dubischar-Krivec, Ph.D, Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology, Gartenstraße 29, D-72074 Tübingen, Germany. (Email: [email protected])
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Background

Calendar calculation is the ability to quickly name the day that a given date falls on. Previous research has suggested that savant calendar calculation is based on rote memory and the use of rule-based arithmetic skills. The objective of this study was to identify the cognitive processes that distinguish calendar calculation in savant individuals from healthy calendar calculators.

Method

Savant calendar calculators with autism (ACC, n=3), healthy calendar calculators (HCC, n=3), non-savant subjects with autism (n=6) and healthy calendar calculator laymen (n=18) were included in the study. All participants calculated dates of the present (current month). In addition, ACC and HCC also calculated dates of the past and future 50 years.

Results

ACC showed shorter reaction times and fewer errors than HCC and non-savant subjects with autism, and significantly fewer errors than healthy calendar calculator laymen when calculating dates of the present. Moreover, ACC performed faster and more accurate than HCC regarding past dates. However, no differences between ACC and HCC were detected for future date calculation.

Conclusions

The findings may imply distinct calendar calculation strategies in ACC and HCC, with HCC relying on calendar regularities for all types of dates and an involvement of (rote) memory in ACC when processing dates of the past and the present.

Keywords

Autistic intelligencecognitionextraordinary abilitiespervasive developmental disorderssavant syndrome
Type
Original Articles
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 39 , Issue 8 , August 2009 , pp. 1355 - 1363
Copyright
Copyright © 2008 Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Bäumler, G (1974). Lern- und Gedächtnistest LGT-3 (Learning and Memory Test LGT-3). Hogrefe: Göttingen.Google Scholar
Binet, A (1894). Psychologie des Grands Calculateurs et Joueurs d'Echècs [Psychology of Big Calculators and Chess Players]. Hachette: Paris.Google Scholar
Bölte, S, Poustka, F (2004). Comparing the intelligence profiles of savant and nonsavant indviduals with autistic disorder. Intelligence 32, 121–131.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bölte, S, Rühl, D, Schmötzer, G, Poustka, F (2006). Diagnostisches Interview für Autismus – Revidiert (ADI-R) [Autism Diagnostic Interview – Revised]. Huber: Bern.Google Scholar
Down, JL (1887). On Some of the Mental Afflictions in Childhood and Youth. Churchill: London.Google Scholar
Heaton, P, Wallace, GL (2004). Annotation: the savant syndrome. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry 45, 899–911.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hermelin, B, O'Connor, N (1986). Idiot savant calendrical calculators: rules and regularities. Psychological Medicine 16, 885–893.Google Scholar
Hill, AL (1975). An investigation of calendar calculating by an idiot savant. American Journal of Psychiatry 132, 557–560.Google ScholarPubMed
Hill, AL (1977). Idiot savants: rate of incidence. Perceptual and Motor Skills 44, 161–162.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ho, EDF, Tsang, AKT, Ho, DYF (1991). An investigation of the calendar calculation ability of a Chinese calendar savant. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders 21, 315–327.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Horwitz, WA, Deming, WE, Winter, RE (1969). A further account of the idiots savants, experts with the calendar. American Journal of Psychiatry 121, 1075–1079.Google Scholar
Horwitz, WA, Kestenbaum, C, Person, E (1965). Identical twin – ‘idiots savants’ – calendar calculators. American Journal of Psychiatry 126, 412–415.Google Scholar
Jones, HS (1926). Phenomenal memorizing as a special ability. Journal of Applied Psychology 10, 367–376.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Judd, T (1988). The variety of musical talent. In The Exceptional Brain (ed.Obler, L. K. and Fein, D.), pp. 127–155. Guilford Press: New York.Google Scholar
Kelly, SJ, Macaruso, P, Sokol, SM (1997). Mental calculation in an autistic savant: a case study. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology 19, 172–184.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Miller, LK (1987). The ‘savant syndrome’. Exceptional skill and mental retardation. In Talent Development (ed.Colangelo, N., Assoulinem, S. and Ambroson, D.), pp. 215–239. Ohio University Press: Dayton, OH.Google Scholar
Mottron, L, Belleville, S (1993). A study of perceptual analysis in a high-level autistic subject with exceptional graphic abilities. Brain and Cognition 23, 279–309.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mottron, L, Belleville, S, Stip, E, Morasse, K (1998). Atypical memory performance in an autistic savant. Memory 6, 593–607.Google Scholar
Mottron, L, Lemmens, K, Gagnon, L, Seron, X (2006). Non-algorithmic access to calendar information in a calendar calculator with autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders 36, 239–247.Google Scholar
Norris, D (1990). How to build a connectionist idiot-savant. Cognition 35, 277–291.Google Scholar
O'Connor, N, Hermelin, B (1984). Idiot savant calendrical calculators: maths or memory? Psychological Medicine 14, 801–806.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
O'Connor, N, Hermelin, B (1992). Do young calendrical calculators improve with age? Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry 33, 907–912.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Oldfield, RC (1971). Analysis of handedness: the Edinburgh Inventory. Neuropsychologia 9, 97–113.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Raven, JC, Court, J, Raven, J Jr. (1979). SMP. Raven Matrices Test. Standard Progressive Matrices. Deutsche Bearbeitung von Heinrich Kratzmeier unter Mitarbeit von Ralf Horn (German Version by Heinrich Kratzmeier with the Cooperation of Ralf Horn). Beltz: Weinheim.Google Scholar
Rimland, B (1978). Savant capabilities of autistic children and their cognitive implications. In Cognitive Defects in the Development of Mental Illness (ed.Serban, G.), pp. 44–63. Bruner & Mazel: New York.Google Scholar
Rosen, AM (1981). Adult calendar calculating in a psychiatric OPD: a report of two cases and a comparative analysis of abilities. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders 11, 285–292.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rubin, EJ, Monaghan, S (1965). Calendar calculation in a multiple handicapped blind person. American Journal of Mental Deficiency 70, 478–485.Google Scholar
Rühl, D, Bölte, S, Feineis-Matthews, S, Poustka, F (2004). Diagnostische Beobachtungsskala für Autistische Störungen (Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule; ADOS). Huber: Bern.Google Scholar
Sacks, O (1985). The twins. In New York Review of Books, vol. 32, no. 3, pp. 16–20. New York Review of Books: New York.Google Scholar
Spitz, H (1994). Lewis Carroll's formula for calendar calculating. American Journal of Mental Retardation 98, 601–608.Google Scholar
Spitz, H, LaFontaine, L (1973). The digit span of idiot savants. American Journal of Mental Deficiency 6, 757–759.Google Scholar
Tewes, U (1994). HAWIE-R. Hamburg-Wechsler Intelligenztest für Erwachsene (Hamburg-Wechsler Intelligence Test for Adults), revision 1991. Huber: Bern.Google Scholar
Tredgold, AF (1914). Mental Deficiency. Bailliere, Tindall & Cox: London.Google Scholar
Treffert, D (2006). Extraordinary People. Harper & Row: New York.Google Scholar
Wechsler, D (1987). Wechsler Memory Scale. Revised Manual. The Psychological Corporation: New York.Google Scholar
Young, R, Nettelbeck, T (1994). The ‘intelligence’ of calendrical calculators. American Journal of Mental Retardation 99, 186–200.Google Scholar