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Spontaneous attention to faces in Asperger syndrome using ecologically valid static stimuli

Lookup NU author(s): Dr Debbie Riby

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Abstract

Previous eye tracking research on the allocation of attention to social information by individuals with autism spectrum disorders is equivocal and may be in part a consequence of variation in stimuli used between studies. The current study explored attention allocation to faces, and within faces, by individuals with Asperger syndrome using a range of static stimuli where faces were either viewed in isolation or viewed in the context of a social scene. Results showed that faces were viewed typically by the individuals with Asperger syndrome when presented in isolation, but attention to the eyes was significantly diminished in comparison to age and IQ-matched typical viewers when faces were viewed as part of social scenes. We show that when using static stimuli, there is evidence of atypicality for individuals with Asperger syndrome depending on the extent of social context. Our findings shed light on the previous explanations of gaze behaviour that have emphasised the role of movement in atypicalities of social attention in autism spectrum disorders and highlight the importance of consideration of the realistic portrayal of social information for future studies.


Publication metadata

Author(s): Hanley M, McPhillips M, Mulhern G, Riby DM

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: Autism

Year: 2013

Volume: 17

Issue: 6

Pages: 754-761

Print publication date: 01/11/2013

Online publication date: 17/09/2012

ISSN (print): 1362-3613

ISSN (electronic): 1461-7005

Publisher: Sage

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1362361312456746

DOI: 10.1177/1362361312456746


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