The relationship between critical flicker fusion threshold and executive function across the autistic trait spectrum

Previous research by Mewborn et al. (2015) investigating the link between Critical Flicker Fusion Threshold (CFFT) and higher-order cognitive functions found a significant correlation between CFFT and executive function, as measured by scores from the Shifting Attention Task. Given the well-established links between autism and deficits in executive function, and the less well-established links between autism and flicker perception, this study explores the possible link between CFFT, executive function, and autistic traits. Using an achromatic flicker task, no relationship was found between CFFT and executive function and CFFT and self- rated autistic traits (as measured by the Autism Quotient; Baron-Cohen et al., 2019). This investigation also found no relationship between CFFT and processing speed (as measured by the processing speed index from the WAIS-IV; Wechsler, 2008), but the current study did find that processing speed significantly predicted executive function. These results cast some doubt on the notion that CFFT, a proxy measure of processing speed is related to executive function and that flicker perception is related to autistic traits. Further questions and additional research and theoretical ideas are developed, along with possible explanations for these, and previous findings