Reconceptualising the Relationship Between Gender, Autism Spectrum Associated Traits and the Big Five Personality Traits.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has traditionally been conceptualised using the Medical Model (MM), with screening tools such as the Autism Quotient (AQ) relying on binary categorisation. More recently, the Neurodiversity Model (NDM) conceptualises autism as natural neurological variation, framing autistic traits as dimensional and comparable to the Big Five Personality Traits (OCEAN). However, it remains unclear how these two models shape the interpretation of ASD, and how the expression of autistic traits may differ by gender and relate to OCEAN traits. This study recruited 1,430 adults (mean age = 25) who completed an online survey including the AQ and the Goldberg-50 IPIP to assess autistic and personality traits, respectively. AQ scores were operationalised both as a binary variable (AQ < 29 = non-autistic; AQ ≥ 29 = autistic), consistent with the MM, and as a continuous variable (AQ range 0–50), consistent with the NDM. Mediation (path) analyses were conducted to examine the relationship between AQ and OCEAN, and whether AQ mediated the relationships between gender and OCEAN. Results under both models indicated that AQ directly influenced OCEAN expression and served as a significant mediator between gender and OCEAN. Non-binary participants had a higher likelihood of belonging to the ASD group, or reported higher ASD traits, which were associated with increased OEAN and decreased C. Together, the statistical differences between the MM and NDM were nuanced, suggesting that adopting the NDM is both viable and beneficial. These findings support a more inclusive, dimensional approach to understanding how autistic traits manifest across the population.