Abstract
Face perception and emotion categorization are widely investigated under laboratory conditions that are devoid of real social interaction. Using mobile eye-tracking glasses in a standardized diagnostic setting while applying the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS-2), we had the opportunity to record gaze behavior of children and adolescents with and without Autism Spectrum Conditions (ASCs) during social interaction. The objective was to investigate differences in eye-gaze behavior between three groups of children and adolescents either (1) with ASC or (2) with unconfirmed diagnosis of ASC or (3) with neurotypical development (NTD) during social interaction with an adult interviewer in a diagnostic standard situation using the ADOS-2. In a case control study, we used mobile eye-tracking glasses in an ecologically valid and highly standardized diagnostic interview to investigate suspected cases of ASC. After completion of the ASC diagnostic gold standard including the ADOS-2, the participants were assigned to two groups based on their diagnosis (ASC vs. non-ASC) and compared with a matched group of neurotypically developed controls. The primary outcome measure is the percentage of total dwell times assessed for different areas of interest (AOI) with regard to the face and body of a diagnostic interviewer and the surrounding space. Overall, 65 children and adolescents within an age range of 8.3–17.9 years were included in the study. The data revealed significant group differences, especially in the central-face area. Previous investigations under laboratory conditions gave preferential attention to the eye region during face perception to describe differences between ASC and NTD. In this study – using an ecologically valid setting within a standard diagnostic procedure – the results indicate that neurotypically developed controls seem to process faces and facial expressions in a holistic manner originating from the central-face region. Conversely, participants on the Autism Spectrum (tAS) seem to avoid the central-face region and show unsystematic gaze behavior, not using the preferred landing position in the central-face region as the Archimedean point of face perception. This study uses a new approach, and it will be important to replicate these preliminary findings in future research.
Highlights
In the scope of social communication, the human face is one of the prime sources for relevant nonverbal information and an effective key instrument, producing information in a dynamic and highly efficient manner.Within two gaze fixations, we are able to recognize a face (Hsiao and Cottrell, 2008); only a few fixations later, we can draw conclusions about gender, age, identity, ethnicity, attractiveness, health, and about the emotional state of a human counterpart (Jack and Schyns, 2015)
Even minute movements of unconscious facial mimicry can affect the process and development of a social interaction (Dalton et al, 2010). It follows that many researchers metaphorically speak of empathy, mimicry, and social gaze as glue for social communication (Lakin et al, 2003; Baron-Cohen and Wheelwright, 2004; Kuzmanovic et al, 2009), and the face can be considered as the focal point of direct social interaction
To answer this research question, we focused on the “Conversation and Reporting” activity within the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, 2nd edition (ADOS-2, Hus and Lord, 2014) and applied a mobile eye tracking system during a 10-min sequence of social interaction in order to assess and compare gaze behavior of people with suspected diagnoses of Autism Spectrum Conditions (ASCs) with neurotypically developed controls
Summary
In the scope of social communication, the human face is one of the prime sources for relevant nonverbal information and an effective key instrument, producing information in a dynamic and highly efficient manner.Within two gaze fixations, we are able to recognize a face (Hsiao and Cottrell, 2008); only a few fixations later, we can draw conclusions about gender, age, identity, ethnicity, attractiveness, health, and about the emotional state of a human counterpart (Jack and Schyns, 2015). Several groundbreaking eye-tracking studies have illustrated that individuals on tAS show reduced attention to salient social stimuli, especially in the eye region (Klin et al, 2002; Jones et al, 2008; Jones and Klin, 2013). These studies, are all investigations conducted under laboratory conditions in which the stimulus material was detached from the participant and presented via screen
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