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Finally referencing Goffman as well as Tajfel..."Results indicated that higher camouflaging was positively associated with autism-related stigma and both individualistic and collective strategy use." https://psyarxiv.com/7w2pe/
@Aspertypical new paper out (see above).
"One as yet untested theory that may underpin existing findings is that camouflaging represents a response to autism-related stigma." Untested? Great way to ignore qualitative research and introspective accounts of stigma and masking. Maybe that will become my new broken record?
"Autism is increasingly understood as an identity-based minority group affected by stigmatised social status (Botha & Frost, 2020) and autistic people commonly report experiencing stigma (Shtayermman, 2009)." Ah okay, but also plenty of my work discussing this.
"...but it is currently unknown how stigma relates to camouflaging." Sorry what? See above?
"Camouflaging, in its aims to minimise or mask autistic characteristics, may involve dissociating from an autistic identity to “pass” as non-autistic." Far less likely (as rather hard to permanently pass as it were as an autistic person). This should be obvious.
"However, to assess whether camouflaging is a response to stigma, the relationship between stigma and camouflaging requires quantitative investigation." Well - I think it has currently shown us far less understanding about this relationship but keep trying.
"It is hypothesised that camouflaging positively relates to individualistic strategy use and shows no relationship or relates negatively to collective strategy use." Sorry what? I hypothesise the opposite (in terms of trying to not be autistic etc. and lots of collective stuff!).
"Greater understanding of these relationships could help identify means of reducing camouflaging, which may have important implications for improving autistic people’s wellbeing." How about reducing the stigma? Without that not masking can at times be dangerous (very for some).
"Items related to denying or minimalising the importance of
autism (e.g. ‘I don’t think of myself as an autistic person’) or striving to overcome autism." Why on Earth did you hypothesise this to be higher? Different types of issue stigma can relate to (read more Goffman!).
autism (e.g. ‘I don’t think of myself as an autistic person’) or striving to overcome autism." Why on Earth did you hypothesise this to be higher? Different types of issue stigma can relate to (read more Goffman!).
"Items related to expression of community or community pride (e.g. ‘Autism culture is alive and well’), valuing experience (e.g. ‘Autism enriches my life’) and support for social change (e.g. ‘I am an autism rights activist’)." And this was hypothesised to be low!?!?!
"Both higher self-reported individualistic and collective strategy use predicted higher levels of camouflaging." No shit!
"...more positive judgements were associated with more knowledge of autism (Sasson & Morrison, 2019)." Treated with caution to (thought vs. action, pity, pleasing the researcher etc.).
"Individualistic and collective strategies were negatively correlated with one another." Rather circular as this is how the concepts are set up logically.
"...camouflaging can co-occur with embracing and advocating for the autistic community." Wow what a shocker, lol. https://research.brighton.ac.uk/en/publications/how-is-a-sense-of-wellbeing-and-belonging-constructed-in-the-acco
"These findings may also support the assertion that stigma occurs in relation to the behaviours associated with being autistic rather than stigma attached to an autistic identity itself." Or a stigmatised identity in view of others that is not fully internalised?
"...instead stigma directly negatively impacted on wellbeing (when controlling for camouflaging)." Predictable.
In relation to minority stress model: "Nonetheless, further research is needed to validate these conclusions." For whom?
"Our findings suggest that targeting stigma and the external environment, rather than trying to change the autistic individual themselves, would be a vital approach." As does decades of autistic activism but heigh ho.
