Year-end Sale % OFF 
Abstract
Joint attention consists in following another’s gaze onto an environmental object, which leads to the alignment of both subjects’ attention onto this object. It is a fundamental mechanism of non-verbal communication, and it is essential for dynamic, online, interindividual synchronization during interactions. Here we aimed at investigating the oscillatory brain correlates of joint attention in a face-to-face paradigm where dyads of participants dynamically oriented their attention toward the same or different objects during joint and no-joint attention periods respectively. We also manipulated task instruction: in socially driven instructions, the participants had to follow explicitly their partner’s gaze, while in color-driven instructions, the objects to be looked at were designated at by their color so that no explicit gaze following was required. We focused on oscillatory activities in the 10 Hz frequency range, where parieto-occipital alpha and the centro-parietal mu rhythms have been described, as these rhythms have been associated with attention and social coordination processes respectively. We tested the hypothesis of a modulation of these oscillatory activities by joint attention. We used dual-EEG to record simultaneously the brain activities of the participant dyads during our live, face-to-face joint attention paradigm. We showed that joint attention periods – as compared to the no-joint attention periods – were associated with a decrease of signal power between 11 and 13 Hz over a large set of left centro-parieto-occipital electrodes, encompassing the scalp regions where alpha and mu rhythms have been described. This 11–13 Hz signal power decrease was observed independently of the task instruction: it was similar when joint versus no-joint attention situations were socially driven and when they were color-driven. These results are interpreted in terms of the processes of attention mirroring, social coordination, and mutual attentiveness associated with joint attention state.
Highlights
All participants were in the normal range of the Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ; Baron-Cohen et al, 2001; mean score = 16.5 ± 1) as well as of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES; Rosenberg, 1965; mean score = 21 ± 0.6)
We distributed the participants into 16 unisex dyads where the participants were matched on age, AQ, RSES score, and gaze cueing effect, for the dual-EEG study
The aim of this study was to investigate whether oscillatory activities in the alpha and mu frequency band may constitute electrophysiological correlates of joint attention in a face-to-face, online interaction paradigm
Summary
A lot of our time and cognitive resources are devoted to the processing of information conveyed by others. Synchronizing our actions with those of others and appropriately responding to social signals are essential to adaptive behavior. A important cue for interindividual synchronization is gaze (Argyle et al, 1973; Patterson, 1982). Eye contact and gaze following are pervasive components of social exchanges. Gaze regulates interpersonal interactions and turns of conversation. Eye gaze has evolved as an essential cue to social attention, which is used to detect others’ focus of interest in the environment and infer others’ intentions
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
