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What Motivates Internet Users to Search for Asperger Syndrome and Autism on Google?

Author

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  • Raúl Tárraga-Mínguez

    (Department of Education and School Management, Faculty of Teacher Training, University of Valencia, 46022 Valencia, Spain)

  • Irene Gómez-Marí

    (Department of Education and School Management, Faculty of Teacher Training, University of Valencia, 46022 Valencia, Spain)

  • Pilar Sanz-Cervera

    (Department of Education and School Management, Faculty of Teacher Training, University of Valencia, 46022 Valencia, Spain)

Abstract

Social campaigns are carried out to promote autism spectrum disorder (ASD) awareness, normalization, and visibility. The internet helps to shape perceptions of Asperger syndrome and autism. In fact, these campaigns often coincide with the increase in searches for both diagnoses on Google. We have two study objectives: to use Google Trends to identify the annual time points from 2015 to 2019 with the highest Google search traffic in Spain for the terms “autism” and “Asperger”, and to identify news and trending topics related to ASD that took place during the weeks with the highest number of Google searches for these terms. Google Trend, MyNews and Trendinalia were used to analyze the volume of searches and trending topics related to ASD. As a result, social marketing campaigns, social networks and the publication of news items act as powerful voices that can provide a realistic or sensationalist picture of the disorder. For this reason, we concluded that campaigns play an important role in the normalization of ASD, and that it is important for organizations concerned with the visibility and social inclusion of people with ASD to check the way ASD is portrayed through the internet, media, and social networks.

Suggested Citation

  • Raúl Tárraga-Mínguez & Irene Gómez-Marí & Pilar Sanz-Cervera, 2020. "What Motivates Internet Users to Search for Asperger Syndrome and Autism on Google?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(24), pages 1-13, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:24:p:9386-:d:462595
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Qian, Mengcen & Chou, Shin-Yi & Lai, Ernest K., 2020. "Confirmatory bias in health decisions: Evidence from the MMR-autism controversy," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    2. Mengcen Qian & Shin-Yi Chou & Ernest K. Lai, 2020. "Confirmatory Bias in Health Decisions: Evidence from the MMR-Autism Controversy," NBER Working Papers 26772, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
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    Cited by:

    1. José M. Aguilar-Parra & Maria M. Megias & Rubén Trigueros & Isabel Mercader & Carolina Fernández-Jiménez & Juan M. Fernández-Campoy, 2021. "Testing the Structural Validity of the Self-Stigma Scale in Relatives of People with Autism in the Spanish Context," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(14), pages 1-9, July.
    2. Ingjerd Skafle & Elia Gabarron & Anders Dechsling & Anders Nordahl-Hansen, 2021. "Online Attitudes and Information-Seeking Behavior on Autism, Asperger Syndrome, and Greta Thunberg," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(9), pages 1-16, May.
    3. Irene Gómez-Marí & Pilar Sanz-Cervera & Raúl Tárraga-Mínguez, 2021. "Today Is My Day: Analysis of the Awareness Campaigns’ Impact on Functional Diversity in the Press, on Google, and on Twitter," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(15), pages 1-13, July.

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