Abstract
The cone of direct gaze refers to the range of gaze deviations an observer accepts as looking directly at them. Previous experiments have calculated the width of the cone of direct gaze using the gaze deviations actually presented to the observer, however, there is considerable evidence that observers actually perceive gaze to be systematically more deviated than actually presented. Here, we examine the width of the cone of direct gaze in units of perceived gaze deviation. In doing so, we are able to disambiguate differences in width both within and between observers that are due to differences in their perception of gaze and due to differences in what observers consider to be looking at them. We suggest that this line of inquiry can offer further insight into the perception of gaze direction, and how this perception may differ in clinical populations.
Highlights
The perception of being looked at is an important social signal that frequently signals another’s intention to communicate with us [1,2]
A preference for direct gaze develops early, with newborn infants already showing a preference for faces with direct gaze over averted gaze [3] and by adulthood, a direct gaze advantage is shown across a number of tasks, such as in visual search tasks [4], in breaking from continuous flash suppression [5] and in the orienting of attention [6]
Follow-up paired t-tests showed this pattern in response variability was not quite as predicted, with the difference being driven by reduced variability in the moderate opacity condition, with no significant difference between the most opaque condition and the zero opacity condition (M0–99.7 = 0.78°, t16 = 3.45, p = 0.003; M99.7–99.9 = −1.12°, t16 = −4.84, p < 0.001; M0–99.9 = −0.34°, t16 = −1.22, p = 0.24)
Summary
The perception of being looked at is an important social signal that frequently signals another’s intention to communicate with us [1,2]. A preference for direct gaze develops early, with newborn infants already showing a preference for faces with direct gaze over averted gaze [3] and by adulthood, a direct gaze advantage is shown across a number of tasks, such as in visual search tasks [4], in breaking from continuous flash suppression [5] and in the orienting of attention [6] Despite this apparent specialization for detecting direct gaze, evidence suggests that observers will accept a wide range of gaze deviations as looking directly at them, spanning 8–9° in horizontal diameter [7]. The width of the cone of direct gaze is dictated by two factors: the perceived direction of gaze and the boundary the observer chooses at which point they no longer consider gaze to be directed
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