Eye-Tracking Analysis of Autistic Children's Attention to Social Stimuli

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kun Zhang ◽  
Lei Gao ◽  
Jingying Chen ◽  
Xiaodi Liu ◽  
Guangshuai Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Eye Tracking ◽  
Social Stimuli ◽  
Children's Attention

scholarly journals A Unique Visual Attention Profile Associated With the FMR1 Premutation

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Molly Winston ◽  
Kritika Nayar ◽  
Emily Landau ◽  
Nell Maltman ◽  
John Sideris ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Visual Attention ◽  
Eye Tracking ◽  
Picture Book ◽  
Fragile X ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Social Stimuli ◽  
Fmr1 Premutation ◽  
Tracking Tasks ◽  
Neurocognitive Profile ◽  
Areas Of Interest

Atypical visual attention patterns have been observed among carriers of the fragile X mental retardation gene (FMR1) premutation (PM), with some similarities to visual attention patterns observed in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and among clinically unaffected relatives of individuals with ASD. Patterns of visual attention could constitute biomarkers that can help to inform the neurocognitive profile of the PM, and that potentially span diagnostic boundaries. This study examined patterns of eye movement across an array of fixation measurements from three distinct eye-tracking tasks in order to investigate potentially overlapping profiles of visual attention among PM carriers, ASD parents, and parent controls. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine whether variables constituting a PM-specific looking profile were able to effectively predict group membership. Participants included 65PM female carriers, 188 ASD parents, and 84 parent controls. Analyses of fixations across the eye-tracking tasks, and their corresponding areas of interest, revealed a distinct visual attention pattern in carriers of the FMR1 PM, characterized by increased fixations on the mouth when viewing faces, more intense focus on bodies in socially complex scenes, and decreased fixations on salient characters and faces while narrating a wordless picture book. This set of variables was able to successfully differentiate individuals with the PM from controls (Sensitivity = 0.76, Specificity = 0.85, Accuracy = 0.77) as well as from ASD parents (Sensitivity = 0.70, Specificity = 0.80, Accuracy = 0.72), but did not show a strong distinction between ASD parents and controls (Accuracy = 0.62), indicating that this set of variables comprises a profile that is unique to PM carriers. Regarding predictive power, fixations toward the mouth when viewing faces was able to differentiate PM carriers from both ASD parents and controls, whereas fixations toward other social stimuli did not differentiate PM carriers from ASD parents, highlighting some overlap in visual attention patterns that could point toward shared neurobiological mechanisms. Results demonstrate a profile of visual attention that appears strongly associated with the FMR1 PM in women, and may constitute a meaningful biomarker.

scholarly journals Context Modulates Attention to Faces in Dynamic Social Scenes in Children and Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dzmitry A. Kaliukhovich ◽  
Nikolay V. Manyakov ◽  
Abigail Bangerter ◽  
Gahan Pandina
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Visual Attention ◽  
Eye Tracking ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Social Orientation ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Social Stimuli ◽  
Adults With Autism ◽  
Social Scenes

AbstractIndividuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have been found to view social scenes differently compared to typically developing (TD) peers, but results can vary depending on context and age. We used eye-tracking in children and adults (age 6–63) to assess allocation of visual attention in a dynamic social orientation paradigm previously used only in younger children. The ASD group (n = 94) looked less at the actor’s face compared to TD (n = 38) when they were engaged in activity (mean percentage of looking time, ASD = 30.7% vs TD = 34.9%; Cohen’s d = 0.56; p value < 0.03) or looking at a moving toy (24.5% vs 33.2%; d = 0.65; p value < 0.001). Findings indicate that there are qualitative differences in allocation of visual attention to social stimuli across ages in ASD.ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02668991.

Does children’s visual attention to specific objects affect their verb learning?

2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-40
Author(s):  
Jane B. Childers ◽  
Blaire Porter ◽  
Megan Dolan ◽  
Clare B. Whitehead ◽  
Kevin P. McIntyre
Keyword(s):  
Visual Attention ◽  
Eye Tracking ◽  
Learning Phase ◽  
Eye Tracker ◽  
Dynamic Scene ◽  
Verb Learning ◽  
Children's Attention

To learn a verb, children must attend to objects and relations, often within a dynamic scene. Several studies show that comparing varied events linked to a verb helps children learn verbs, but there is also controversy in this area. This study asks whether children benefit from seeing variation across events as they learn a new verb, and uses an eye tracker to test whether children adjust their visual attention to specific objects to better understand how they may be comparing events to each other. Children saw events in which the tool varied, the affected object varied, or there was no variation (control). No prior verb study has tested children’s visual attention to specific objects under different variability conditions. We found 2½- and 3½-year-olds could extend verbs, and they were more successful with age. Analyses of the looking patterns in the learning phase show that children’s attention to specific objects in events varied by condition, and that reduced looking to the tool was linked to less success at test. Eye tracking can provide a more detailed view of what children attend to while learning a new verb, which should help us better understand how children are learning from variation across examples.

scholarly journals Social Visual Attentional Engagement and Memory in Phelan-McDermid Syndrome and Autism Spectrum Disorder: An Eye-Tracking Study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sylvia Guillory ◽  
Victoria Z. Baskett ◽  
Hannah E. Grosman ◽  
Christopher S. McLaughlin ◽  
Emily L. Isenstein ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Recognition Memory ◽  
Eye Tracking ◽  
Genetic Disorder ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Attention And Memory ◽  
Similar Amount ◽  
Novelty Preference ◽  
Social Stimuli

The current study used eye tracking to investigate attention and recognition memory in Phelan-McDermid syndrome (PMS), a rare genetic disorder characterized by intellectual disability, motor delays, and a high likelihood of comorbid autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Social deficits represent a core feature of ASD, including decreased propensity to orient to or show preference for social stimuli. Here, we used a visual paired comparison task with both social and non-social images, assessing looking behavior to a novel image versus a previously-viewed familiar image to characterize social attention and recognition memory in PMS (n=27), idiopathic ASD (iASD, n=46), and typically-developing controls (n=29). On measures of attention, all groups spent a similar amount of time viewing the images; however, the rate of looking back-and-forth between images was lowest in iASD. Furthermore, while all groups demonstrated recognition memory when novel stimuli were initially presented, participants with PMS showed the weakest novelty preference compared to controls. Finally, the iASD, but not PMS, group showed enhanced novelty preference for non-social stimuli. Across indices, individuals with PMS and ASD performed more similarly to PMS without ASD and less similarly to the iASD group. These findings provide further evidence of differences in attention and memory for social stimuli in ASD and contrasts idiopathic autism with PMS.

scholarly journals A treat for the eyes. An eye-tracking study on children's attention to unhealthy and healthy food cues in media content

Appetite ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 125 ◽  
pp. 63-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ines Spielvogel ◽  
Jörg Matthes ◽  
Brigitte Naderer ◽  
Kathrin Karsay
Keyword(s):  
Eye Tracking ◽  
Healthy Food ◽  
Media Content ◽  
Food Cues ◽  
Children's Attention

scholarly journals Investigating eye movement patterns, language, and social ability in children with autism spectrum disorder

2014 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 529-537 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven D. Stagg ◽  
Karina J. Linnell ◽  
Pamela Heaton
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Visual Attention ◽  
Eye Tracking ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Language Ability ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Social Stimuli ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Language Onset

AbstractAlthough all intellectually high-functioning children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) display core social and communication deficits, some develop language within a normative timescale and others experience significant delays and subsequent language impairment. Early attention to social stimuli plays an important role in the emergence of language, and reduced attention to faces has been documented in infants later diagnosed with ASD. We investigated the extent to which patterns of attention to social stimuli would differentiate early and late language onset groups. Children with ASD (mean age = 10 years) differing on language onset timing (late/normal) and a typically developing comparison group completed a task in which visual attention to interacting and noninteracting human figures was mapped using eye tracking. Correlations on visual attention data and results from tests measuring current social and language ability were conducted. Patterns of visual attention did not distinguish typically developing children and ASD children with normal language onset. Children with ASD and late language onset showed significantly reduced attention to salient social stimuli. Associations between current language ability and social attention were observed. Delay in language onset is associated with current language skills as well as with specific eye-tracking patterns.

scholarly journals Individual differences in responsivity to social rewards: Insights from two eye-tracking tasks

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bhismadev Chakrabarti ◽  
Anthony Haffey ◽  
Loredana Canzano ◽  
Christopher P. Taylor ◽  
Eugene McSorley
Keyword(s):  
Eye Tracking ◽  
Social Preference ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Reward Processing ◽  
Autism Spectrum Conditions ◽  
Global Effect ◽  
Social Stimuli ◽  
Tracking Tasks ◽  
Preferential Looking ◽  
Social Rewards

AbstractHumans generally prefer social over nonsocial stimuli from an early age. Reduced preference for social rewards has been observed in individuals with autism spectrum conditions (ASC). This preference has typically been noted in separate tasks that measure orienting toward and engaging with social stimuli. In this experiment, we used two eye-tracking tasks to index both of these aspects of social preference in in 77 typical adults. We used two measures, global effect and preferential looking time. The global effect task measures saccadic deviation toward a social stimulus (related to ‘orienting’), while the preferential looking task records gaze duration bias toward social stimuli (relating to ‘engaging’). Social rewards were found to elicit greater saccadic deviation and greater gaze duration bias, suggesting that they have both greater salience and higher value compared to nonsocial rewards. Trait empathy was positively correlated with the measure of relative value of social rewards, but not with their salience. This study thus elucidates the relationship of empathy with social reward processing.

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