Honor endorsement predicts both negative beliefs about autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and support for potentially harmful ASD treatment behaviors

Purpose: Children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience particularly high rates of abuse and maltreatment, although research on cultural predictors is currently lacking. The current research sought to explore whether culture of honor norms may be linked with greater support of potentially harmful parenting practices (e.g., forceful stopping of ASD behaviors) as a reputation maintenance strategy. Method: Three studies were conducted (total N = 1,002) assessing relationships between levels of honor endorsement (the extent to which individuals endorse norms found in cultures of honor) and various manifestations of harmful parenting practices for children with ASD. Results: Results show that honor endorsement is linked with support for potentially harmful parenting practices, ASD stigma, and perceived damage to parental identity if a (hypothetical) child were diagnosed with ASD (Study 1). Furthermore, these relationships appear to be similar across diagnostic and social contexts (Study 2), and individuals who grew up in a U.S. honor culture report experiencing maltreatment at higher rates than their non-honor state counterparts (Study 3). Conclusion: Findings suggest that honor endorsement may be an important variable to consider when seeking to understand the predictors of parenting behaviors and treatment decisions which are known to be harmful for children with ASD.