Date Thesis Awarded

5-2020

Access Type

Honors Thesis -- Access Restricted On-Campus Only

Degree Name

Bachelors of Science (BS)

Department

Psychology

Advisor

Jennifer Stevens

Committee Members

Christopher Ball

Evie Burnet

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate methods to reduce stress for individuals on the Autism Spectrum (AS) using space and sound. There were two experiments comparing individuals across a range of scores on the spectrum, evaluated using the Autism Spectrum Quotient (ASQ): the first experiment compared the length of stay in a small space versus a large space, and the second experiment compared the length of stay in a small space versus wearing a weighted blanket. In each condition, participants listened to three sounds: rain, fire, and white noise. We predicted that individuals with higher ASQ scores would stay in the small space longer in the first experiment and would wear the weighted blanket longer in the second experiment. While some trends appeared in the data for both experiments, the results are relatively inconclusive.

Keywords: Autism Spectrum, space, weighted blanket

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