Trash or Treasure? The Psychological, Social, and Emotional Motivations and Behaviors Behind Collecting In Neurotypical Children And Children On The Autism Spectrum

Abstract

What did you collect as a child? Humans exhibit a sense of curiosity from early in life by seeking out information about objects and people, which leads us to become more motivated and engaged learners. During childhood, children often become interested in collecting objects of interest to them, both among neurotypical children as well as children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In ASD, collecting behavior is often uniquely specific and intense, sometimes mirroring extremely specialized interests. This study examines collecting behaviors in 95 neurotypical children, with a pilot study of 6 children with autism, analyzing results from child interviews and testimonies in order to better understand differences in what is collected, how collections are structured, and the emotional or social motivations for collecting. From the neurotypical sample, collecting was found to be a largely psychosocially motivated behavior across ages, becoming more emotionally driven in older children. The ASD pilot study suggested that patterns of collections may primarily serve calming and security-related purposes, with rigid boundaries. This research has implications for better understanding identity formation and the development of curiosity in both neurotypical children as well as children with ASD. Future research will benefit from examining the diversity of collections among children with autism, and how collecting shapes cognitive development for both samples of children.