Abstract
Joint attention (JA) and spontaneous facial mimicry (SFM) are fundamental processes in social interactions, and they are closely related to empathic abilities. When tested independently, both of these processes have been usually observed to be atypical in individuals with autism spectrum conditions (ASC). However, it is not known how these processes interact with each other in relation to autistic traits. This study addresses this question by testing the impact of JA on SFM of happy faces using a truly interactive paradigm. Sixty‐two neurotypical participants engaged in gaze‐based social interaction with an anthropomorphic, gaze‐contingent virtual agent. The agent either established JA by initiating eye contact or looked away, before looking at an object and expressing happiness or disgust. Eye tracking was used to make the agent's gaze behavior and facial actions contingent to the participants' gaze. SFM of happy expressions was measured by Electromyography (EMG) recording over the Zygomaticus Major muscle. Results showed that JA augments SFM in individuals with low compared with high autistic traits. These findings are in line with reports of reduced impact of JA on action imitation in individuals with ASC. Moreover, they suggest that investigating atypical interactions between empathic processes, instead of testing these processes individually, might be crucial to understanding the nature of social deficits in autism. Autism Res 2016, 9: 781–789. © 2015 The Authors Autism Research published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Society for Autism Research
Highlights
Autism spectrum conditions (ASC) are neurodevelopmental disorders, characterized primarily by pervasive impairments in social interaction and communication [American Psychiatric Association, 2013]
The effect of Joint attention (JA) on spontaneous facial mimicry (SFM) of happy faces was tested using a socially interactive paradigm where the participant was involved in gaze-based JA with an anthropomorphic virtual agent
We tested whether the relationship of JA and SFM was modulated by autistic traits
Summary
Autism spectrum conditions (ASC) are neurodevelopmental disorders, characterized primarily by pervasive impairments in social interaction and communication [American Psychiatric Association, 2013]. To distinguish JA from other gaze-driven social cues, we use the framework suggested by Nathan Emery [Emery, 2000] According to this framework, JA is a case of gaze following in which gaze leader and follower direct their focus of attention to the same aspect of the environment, while “Shared Attention” is a special case of JA that is initiated by direct eye contact between gaze leader and gaze follower. A large number of studies have suggested that persons with ASC are impaired in processing gaze direction and in engaging in JA situations [for a review see: Nation & Penny, 2008] This deficit has been suggested to play a significant part in the developmental etiology of autism [Mundy & Newell, 2007]. We predict that the extent of this facilitation will be greater for individuals with low compared with those with high autistic traits
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