自闭症谱系障碍儿童对不同类型社交场景注意模式的眼动差异

采用眼动追踪技术,通过变化社交人数操纵场景的社会性内容,比较自闭症谱系障碍儿童(ASD)和普通儿童(TD)对真实社交场景注意模式的差异。结果发现:(1)ASD儿童对社交场景的总注视时间和平均注视时间少于TD儿童;(2)随着社交场景中人数的增加,ASD儿童和TD儿童一样,对面孔、身体和嘴部的注视时间比和注视次数比逐渐降低;(3)相对于TD儿童,ASD儿童对社交场景中面孔、身体、眼部、嘴部等社会信息区域的注视加工更少,但对前景和背景等非社会信息区域的注视加工更多。整个研究表明,社交人数变化对ASD儿童和TD儿童社交场景注意模式的影响一致,但ASD儿童对社交场景的具体社会性信息的视觉加工上仍表现出特异性。     

自闭症谱系障碍儿童对面孔加工的同龄偏向效应

采用视觉追踪技术,探讨自闭症谱系障碍(autism spectrum disorders, ASD)儿童面孔加工的同龄偏向效应。实验1选取19名ASD儿童和23名生理年龄匹配的普通儿童(typically developing, TD)为被试,通过自由观看同龄和异龄中性面孔,探讨ASD儿童是否存在面孔加工的同龄偏向效应;实验2选取22名ASD儿童和生理年龄匹配的25名TD儿童,通过自由观看快乐、愤怒和恐惧面孔,探讨情绪对ASD儿童面孔加工同龄偏向的影响。结果发现,(1)ASD儿童对同龄中性面孔的注视时间显著大于异龄中性面孔;(2)ASD儿童在愤怒和恐惧情绪下对同龄面孔的注视时间显著大于异龄面孔,而在快乐情绪下同龄和异龄的注视时间则无显著差异。这表明ASD儿童对面孔的注视加工存在同龄偏向效应,且受情绪的影响。     

成人与幼儿面部表情注意偏好的眼动研究

本研究选取45名3-5岁幼儿和39名大学本科生作为被试。实验材料为恐惧、愤怒、悲伤、惊讶和高兴五种面部表情图片。用Tobbi眼动仪记录被试观察表情图片时的眼动轨迹。结果发现：（1）成人偏好高兴表情,并在高兴表情上的注视时间和次数显著大于幼儿;（2）成人偏好注视眼部,幼儿偏好注视嘴部。结果表明,面部表情注意偏好的发展具有社会依存性,趋向于偏好积极情绪,这种发展变化与面部表情部位的注意偏好相关。     

自闭症谱系障碍者的面孔加工特点——眼动研究的元分析

以往研究将回避眼睛作为自闭症谱系障碍的评估标准之一, 但是一些眼动研究发现：自闭症谱系障碍者也回避注视嘴部。那么回避嘴部是否同样可以作为评估标准？本研究运用元分析, 分别将面孔核心区域中眼睛和嘴部的注视时间作为结果变量, 探讨自闭症谱系障碍者面孔加工的注视特点。通过文献检索和筛查, 共有27篇眼动文献被纳入最终的元分析, 其中眼睛注视时间生成43个独立效应量(1343人), 在嘴部注视时间生成36个独立效应量(1112人)。结果发现, 自闭症谱系障碍组对眼睛的注视时间显著少于普通被试组(d = −0.75), 但是两组在嘴部注视时间上没有显著差异(d = −0.29)。调节效应检验发现：年龄(d儿童 = −0.89, d成人 = −0.04)、面孔方向(d正立 = −0.79, d倒置 = 0.31)会影响被试对眼睛的注视时间; 年龄(d儿童 = 0.40, d成人 = −0.56)、言语智商(d匹配 = 0.63, d不匹配 = −0.62)和非言语智商的匹配性(d匹配 = 0.27, d不匹配 = −0.51)、自闭症的严重程度 (d高功能 = 0.43, d中低功能 = −0.65)和任务方式(d自由浏览 = −0.48, d辨别任务 = 0.90)则会影响被试对嘴部的注视时间。元分析结果表明嘴部注视不能作为区分自闭症谱系障碍者的指标。     

社交机器人对ASD儿童社会互动行为的诱导效应

为探究社交机器人对自闭症谱系障碍(autism spectrum disorders,ASD)儿童社会互动行为的诱导效应,以24名ASD儿童为被试,比较NAO机器人和人诱导被试靠近、接触、模仿、眼神注视及皮电变化差异。发现:⑴NAO机器人诱导被试靠近、接触和眼神注视发生次数更多,眼神注视时间占比更高;⑵两者诱导被试模仿无显著差异;⑶打招呼时,NAO机器人引起被试皮电变化率更高。总之,社交机器人能增强ASD儿童社交兴趣和情绪唤醒,缓解社交回避,诱导社会互动行为主动发生。     

任务难度对自闭症儿童视觉搜索优势显现的影响

探究自闭症谱系障碍(ASD)儿童视觉搜索优势的显现是否受任务难度影响及优势存在机理。本研究采集ASD和正常发育(TD)儿童完成不同难度等级视觉搜索任务的行为和眼动数据。结果发现：在高难度等级任务中ASD组的准确率显著高于TD组;ASD组在任务中对目标刺激的回视次数、对靶子和外周感兴趣区的注视时间显著少于TD组,且ASD组偏好注视刺激的右侧区域。结果表明ASD儿童视觉搜索优势显现受任务难度影响,且可能与其对干扰刺激增强的知觉能力有关。     

眼睛注视方向对自闭症谱系障碍儿童面孔情绪识别的影响

为探究自闭症谱系障碍(ASD)儿童在不同眼睛注视方向下对面孔情绪的识别能力及视线加工特征,研究选取ASD儿童和普通儿童各17名为被试。结果发现,ASD儿童识别面孔情绪的正确率显著低于普通儿童,而对高兴情绪识别的正确率最高;ASD儿童识别面孔情绪的反应时不受眼睛注视方向影响,而普通儿童表现出对正视面孔情绪更快的识别速度。研究认为,ASD儿童的情绪识别能力偏低,受情绪类型影响显著,且在面孔情绪识别过程中,可能存在一定的视线加工障碍或缺少对眼部线索的关注。     

自闭症谱系障碍儿童对环境图片威胁知觉的眼动研究

以30名自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）儿童为被试,通过环境图片视觉搜索方式,借助Tobii X120眼动仪记录被试的注视时间和注视次数探讨ASD儿童威胁知觉的特点。结果发现：（1）相比于非威胁目标,ASD儿童对威胁目标对象存在知觉优势,其威胁知觉受刺激类型及矩阵大小的影响。（2）ASD儿童对于全威胁刺激（蛇）的负性图片存在注意固着现象,表现在对全威胁刺激环境图片的注视时间显著增加。（3）眼动技术能够有效地应用于部分ASD儿童的威胁知觉研究。     

自闭谱系障碍:一种主动性的社会认知控制缺陷

认知控制是一项高级的认知能力,是个体执行功能的一部分。包括认知控制在内的执行功能缺陷被认为是自闭谱系障碍的主要原因之一。本研究基于双重认知控制模型,通过非社会性和社会性两个领域的任务比较了自闭谱系障碍儿童（ASD）与正常发展儿童（TD）的认知控制能力的差异。结果发现：（1）ASD儿童在非社会性领域的认知控制上不存在缺陷,ASD儿童在社会性领域的认知控制上仅表现出了主动性认知控制缺陷,不存在反应性认知控制缺陷;(２)ASD儿童的主动性控制并不像TD儿童一样出现两个领域的加工分化,他们没有像TD儿童一样,表现出社会性领域的主动性控制的优势;（３）社会性领域的主动性控制和反应性控制可以显著从负正两个方向上预测自闭症状的严重程度。本研究认为,可以把ASD看成是一种主动性的社会认知控制缺陷。社会性领域的认知控制指标可为ASD的诊断与训练提供重要参考。     

背景性质对7-10岁自闭症谱系障碍儿童面孔搜索与加工的作用

为了考察背景性质对ASD者搜索面孔的影响,设计两个眼动实验任务,要求14名7~10岁ASD儿童和20名同年龄正常儿童观看图片。实验一采用将面孔嵌入风景图片中引起语义不一致的刺激;实验二采用含有面孔的无意义背景乱序图片刺激。结果发现：（1）面孔与背景语义不一致并不能促进ASD儿童对面孔的搜索;（2）乱序背景对ASD儿童面孔搜索与加工没有产生干扰作用,但使正常儿童的搜索时间变长;（3）一旦觉察到面孔后,ASD儿童对面孔的注视时间少于正常儿童。表明正常儿童对面孔的搜索与加工受背景性质的影响,而ASD儿童不受背景性质的影响;一旦发现面孔,ASD儿童的注意维持较短,但面孔加工模式与正常儿童相似。     

Comparing Attention to Socially-Relevant Stimuli in Autism Spectrum Disorder and Developmental Coordination Disorder

Difficulties with social interaction have been reported in both children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD), although these disorders have very different diagnostic characteristics. To date, assessment of social skills in a DCD population has been limited to paper-based assessment or parent report. The present study employed eye tracking methodology to examine how children attend to socially-relevant stimuli, comparing 28 children with DCD, 28 children with ASD and 26 typically-developing (TD) age-matched controls (aged 7–10). Eye movements were recorded while children viewed 30 images, half of which were classed as ‘Individual’ (one person in the scene, direct gaze) and the other half were ‘Social’ (more naturalistic scenes showing an interaction). Children with ASD spent significantly less time looking at the face/eye regions in the images than TD children, but children with DCD performed between the ASD and TD groups in this respect. Children with DCD demonstrated a reduced tendency to follow gaze, in comparison to the ASD group. Our findings confirm that social atypicalities are present in both ASD and to a lesser extent DCD, but follow a different pattern. Future research would benefit from considering the developmental nature of the observed findings and their implications for support.     

Out of mind,out of sight? Investigating abnormal face scanning in autism spectrum disorder using gaze‐contingent paradigm

Diminished social motivation is hypothesized to explain abnormal face scanning pattern in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), especially reduced eye‐looking time in ASDs than typically developing (TD) people. Here, we tested an alternative explanation that children with ASD may use a compensatory strategy to avoid direct eye contact by processing the eyes through peripheral vision. We compared the face scanning patterns of children with and without ASD in two conditions: in the clear condition, the face was completely visible; in the blur condition, by using the gaze‐contingent paradigm, the whole face was blurred except for a small region being fixated at, thus children could not rely on the peripheral information to process the eyes. We found that children with ASD fixated less on the eyes than TD children in both conditions. Temporal‐course analyses further revealed the possible motivation‐based guidance of attention to process the eyes in the TD group but not in the ASD group. Additionally, we found that children with ASD scanned faces more randomly and less strategically than TD children. These results have ruled out the alternative hypothesis that the abnormal face scanning pattern in ASDs was due to their compensatory strategy to process eyes through peripheral vision, furthering our understanding of the mechanisms underlying their abnormal face scanning.     

自闭症谱系障碍儿童在多重线索下习得词语的眼动研究

本文利用眼动追踪技术在基线、一致和矛盾3种实验条件下考察感知觉线索和社会性线索在自闭症谱系障碍儿童词语习得中的相对作用。行为数据结果表明, 此类儿童在矛盾条件下选择枯燥物体作为新异词语的所指对象, 这说明社会性线索较之于感知觉线索具有优势作用; 而他们在基线和一致条件下选择有趣物体作为新异词语的所指对象, 且一致条件的词语习得成绩优于基线条件, 这说明社会性线索较之于感知觉线索具有促进作用。眼动数据结果表明, 此类儿童在脸部注视模式和视线追随行为上与普通儿童存在差异。这说明, 虽然社会性线索在此类儿童与普通儿童的词语习得中具有相同的相对作用, 但他们获取社会性信息的方式与普通儿童存在差异。     

Perceiving gaze from head and eye rotations: An integrative challenge for children and adults

Gaze is an emergent visual feature. A person's gaze direction is perceived not just based on the rotation of their eyes, but also their head. At least among adults, this integrative process appears to be flexible such that one feature can be weighted more heavily than the other depending on the circumstances. Yet it is unclear how this weighting might vary across individuals or across development. When children engage emergent gaze, do they prioritize cues from the head and eyes similarly to adults? Is the perception of gaze among individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) emergent, or is it reliant on a single feature? Sixty adults (M = 29.86 years‐of‐age), thirty‐seven typically developing children and adolescents (M = 9.3 years‐of‐age; range = 7–15), and eighteen children with ASD (M = 9.72 years‐of‐age; range = 7–15) viewed faces with leftward, rightward, or direct head rotations in conjunction with leftward or rightward pupil rotations, and then indicated whether the face was looking leftward or rightward. All individuals, across development and ASD status, used head rotation to infer gaze direction, albeit with some individual differences. However, the use of pupil rotation was heavily dependent on age. Finally, children with ASD used pupil rotation significantly less than typically developing (TD) children when inferring gaze direction, even after accounting for age. Our approach provides a novel framework for understanding individual and group differences in gaze as it is actually perceived—as an emergent feature. Furthermore, this study begins to address an important gap in ASD literature, taking the first look at emergent gaze perception in this population.     

Does culture shape face perception in autism? Cross‐cultural evidence of the own‐race advantage from the UK and Japan

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are associated with face perception atypicalities, and atypical experience with faces has been proposed as an underlying explanation. Studying the own‐race advantage (ORA) for face recognition can reveal the effect of experience on face perception in ASD, although the small number of studies in the area present mixed findings. This study probed the ORA in ASD by comparing two cultural groups simultaneously for the first time. Children with ASD in the UK (N = 16) and Japan (N = 26) were compared with age‐ and ability‐matched typically developing (TD) children in the UK (N = 16) and Japan (N = 26). Participants completed a two‐alternative forced‐choice task, whereby they had to recognize a just seen face from a foil which was manipulated in one of four ways (IC: identity change; EE: easy eyes; HE: hard eyes; HM: hard mouth). Face stimuli were Asian and Caucasian, and thus the same stimuli were own and other race depending on the cultural group. The ASD groups in the UK and Japan did not show impaired face recognition abilities, or impairments with recognizing faces depending on manipulations to the eye region, and importantly they showed an ORA. There was considerable heterogeneity in the presence of the ORA in ASD and TD and also across cultures. Children in Japan had higher accuracy than children in the UK, and TD children in Japan did not show an ORA. This cross‐cultural study challenges the view that atypical experiences with faces lead to a reduced/absent ORA in ASD.     

The eye gaze direction of an observed person can bias perception,memory, and attention in adolescents with and without autism spectrum disorder

The reported experiments aimed to investigate whether a person and his or her gaze direction presented in the context of a naturalistic scene cause perception, memory, and attention to be biased in typically developing adolescents and high-functioning adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). A novel computerized image manipulation program presented a series of photographic scenes, each containing a person. The program enabled participants to laterally maneuver the scenes behind a static window, the borders of which partially occluded the scenes. The gaze direction of the person in the scenes spontaneously cued attention of both groups in the direction of gaze, affecting judgments of preference (Experiment 1a) and causing memory biases (Experiment 1b). Experiment 2 showed that the gaze direction of a person cues visual search accurately to the exact location of gaze in both groups. These findings suggest that biases in preference, memory, and attention are caused by another person’s gaze direction when viewed in a complex scene in adolescents with and without ASD     

Understanding the role and function of maternal touch in children with neurodevelopmental disabilities

During the first years of life, maternal touch can serve different functions including facilitation of child’s gaze orientation to faces which is a key precursor for social attention. Although children with neurodevelopmental disability (ND) may have reduced social skills, the role of maternal touch in contributing to gaze orientation to maternal face has not been explored in previous research. In the present study, we investigate the functions of maternal touch in dyads of mothers and children with ND, compared to dyads of children with typical development (TD). Micro-analytic 2-s coding of maternal touch (i.e., affectionate, playful, facilitating, holding, no touch) and children’s gaze orientation (i.e., mother-oriented, object-oriented, non-oriented) occurred during 5-minute interactions between mothers and their 12-to-24-month-old ND and TD children. Dyads were paired for children chronological age and sex. Mothers of children with ND used more touch – especially facilitating and holding types –, compared to mothers of TD peers. Children with ND exhibited more non-orientated gaze compared to TD counterparts. Playful touch associated with increased mother-oriented gaze in children with ND, whereas affectionate and holding touch associated with greater mother-oriented gaze in TD children. Findings suggest that specific types of touch support children’s attention to social partners.