System 2 Recruitment Thresholds as a Candidate Mechanism for the Autistic Spectrum

Dual Process Theory proposes that human cognition operates across two systems: an automatic, intuitive System 1 and a deliberate, effortful System 2. While individual differences in the deployment of these systems have been documented, the mechanisms underlying such differences remain unclear. This paper introduces a theoretical framework suggesting that stable variation in System 2 recruitment thresholds — the point at which deliberative processing is engaged — may represent a central explanatory dimension of neurodiversity, and of the autistic spectrum in particular. A secondary mechanism, variation in System 2 release thresholds, is proposed as a more speculative extension with potential relevance to ADHD. Together, these two dimensions are hypothesized to define a cognitive space across which individuals can be positioned, with extreme combinations corresponding to recognizable neurodivergent profiles, including a predicted high-threshold “Intuitistic” profile. The framework is grounded in existing empirical findings, generates specific falsifiable predictions, and proposes that neurodivergence may be better understood as continuous variation in cognitive switching tendencies rather than as discrete diagnostic categories. While the framework itself has not yet been directly tested, no clear contradictions were identified in the existing literature, and multiple findings are consistent with its core predictions.