Camouflaging is a social phenomenon operating within everyday social interactions of autistic and non-autistic people. The current study explored autistic adults’ camouflaging in an everyday social context via interpersonal process recall methodology (Kegan, 1969). A total of 17 autistic adults (8 females, 6 males and 3 agender/gender-neutral individuals) participated in a 10-min controlled social task designed to replicate a common day-to-day social situation. Participants then watched a video of their interaction with a researcher, actively identifying instances of camouflaging and discussing their experiences of camouflaging. Using thematic analysis, four themes were generated: (1) a strong desire for, yet uncertainty in, securing social acceptance and connection; (2) camouflaging, developed over time, as a means to achieve social acceptance and connection; (3) experiencing intrapersonal and interpersonal camouflaging consequences during social interactions; and (4) authentic socialising as an alternative to camouflaging. These findings are discussed with reference to the existing literature on stigma management outside the field of autism.

Lay abstract

Many autistic people report that, despite personal costs, they use strategies to hide their autistic characteristics or appear non-autistic at work, school or university, when speaking with health professionals, or while socialising with certain friends and family members. These strategies are often referred to as camouflaging. This study explores camouflaging during everyday social interactions. A total of 17 autistic adults were filmed taking part in a common everyday social situation – a conversation with a stranger. They then watched the video of this conversation with a researcher and answered questions about camouflaging. These autistic people told us that they (1) had a strong desire to socialise with and be valued by other people but, because of negative past experiences, they often felt unsure about their ability to do so; (2) used camouflaging to help them to socialise and be valued by others; (3) experienced negative consequences when camouflaging (e.g. fatigue, anxiety and difficulties in friendships); and (4) sometimes socialised in more autistic ways instead of camouflaging. This study shows us how autistic people often change their behaviour because of the way they are treated by nonautistic people and that autistic people may benefit from programmes that help them to socialise in more authentically autistic ways, but only if their autistic social behaviour is met with understanding and acceptance from non-autistic people.

中文翻译：

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日常社会环境中的伪装：一项人际回忆研究

伪装是一种社会现象，在自闭症和非自闭症人士的日常社交互动中起作用。目前的研究通过人际交往过程回忆方法探讨了自闭症成年人在日常社会环境中的伪装（Kegan，1969）。共有 17 名自闭症成年人（8 名女性、6 名男性和 3 名性别/性别中立者）参与了一项 10 分钟的受控社交任务，旨在复制常见的日常社交情况。参与者随后观看了他们与研究人员互动的视频，积极识别伪装实例并讨论他们的伪装经验。使用主题分析，产生了四个主题：(1) 对获得社会接受和联系的强烈愿望，但不确定；(2) 伪装，随着时间的推移而发展，作为实现社会接受和联系的一种手段；(3) 在社会交往过程中经历了人际伪装和人际伪装的后果；(4) 作为伪装的替代品的真实社交。这些发现将参考有关自闭症领域之外的耻辱管理的现有文献进行讨论。

摘要

许多自闭症人士报告说，尽管付出了个人代价，但他们在工作、学校或大学、与卫生专业人员交谈或与某些朋友和家人交往时，会使用策略来隐藏他们的自闭症特征或表现出非自闭症。这些策略通常被称为伪装。这项研究探讨了日常社交互动中的伪装。总共有 17 名自闭症成年人参与了日常社交场合——与陌生人的对话。然后他们观看了与研究人员对话的视频，并回答了有关伪装的问题。这些自闭症人士告诉我们，他们 (1) 有强烈的渴望与他人交往并受到他人的重视，但由于过去的负面经历，他们常常不确定自己是否有能力这样做；(2)利用伪装帮助他们社交和被他人重视；(3) 伪装时经历过负面后果（如疲劳、焦虑和交友困难）；(4) 有时以更自闭的方式社交而不是伪装。这项研究向我们展示了自闭症患者如何因非自闭症患者对待他们的方式而经常改变他们的行为，并且自闭症患者可能会从帮助他们以更真实的自闭症方式进行社交的项目中受益，但前提是他们的自闭症社交行为得到了满足非自闭症人士的理解和接受。(4) 有时以更自闭的方式社交而不是伪装。这项研究向我们展示了自闭症患者如何因非自闭症患者对待他们的方式而经常改变他们的行为，并且自闭症患者可能会从帮助他们以更真实的自闭症方式进行社交的项目中受益，但前提是他们的自闭症社交行为得到了满足非自闭症人士的理解和接受。(4) 有时以更自闭的方式社交而不是伪装。这项研究向我们展示了自闭症患者如何因非自闭症患者对待他们的方式而经常改变他们的行为，并且自闭症患者可能会从帮助他们以更真实的自闭症方式进行社交的项目中受益，但前提是他们的自闭症社交行为得到了满足非自闭症人士的理解和接受。