Circumscribed Interest Modulates Attention to Eyes in Boys With and Without Autism Spectrum Disorder
Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibit abnormal visual attention, such as diminished attention to eyes and enhanced attention to high-autism-interest objects. We tested whether high-autism-interest objects would modulate the attention to eyes in boys with ASD and typically developing (...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2021-07-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.627365/full |
| _version_ | 1818922138803896320 |
|---|---|
| author | Qiandong Wang Sio Pan Hoi Ci Song Tianbi Li Cheuk Man Lam Yuyin Wang Li Yi |
| author_facet | Qiandong Wang Sio Pan Hoi Ci Song Tianbi Li Cheuk Man Lam Yuyin Wang Li Yi |
| author_sort | Qiandong Wang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibit abnormal visual attention, such as diminished attention to eyes and enhanced attention to high-autism-interest objects. We tested whether high-autism-interest objects would modulate the attention to eyes in boys with ASD and typically developing (TD) boys. Twenty-two ASD and 22 TD children were presented simultaneously with human eyes and high/low-autism-interest objects (HAI/LAI) while their eye movements were recorded. We found that visual preference for eyes was influenced by competing objects in children with and without ASD. Specifically, both children with and without ASD showed reduced overall and first looking preference when eyes were paired with HAI objects relative to LAI objects. Children with ASD also showed reduced sustained viewing preference to the eyes after first looking at the eyes and late looking preference to the eyes after first looking at the objects in the HAI condition than the LAI condition, but these effects were absent in the TD group. Our study not only helps us understand some factors that impact attention to eyes, but also has implications for interventions aiming at improving eye contact in children with ASD. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-20T01:48:47Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-56f6774145d240d8b879f82f78db755c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-0640 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-20T01:48:47Z |
| publishDate | 2021-07-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj.art-56f6774145d240d8b879f82f78db755c2022-12-21T19:57:41ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychiatry1664-06402021-07-011210.3389/fpsyt.2021.627365627365Circumscribed Interest Modulates Attention to Eyes in Boys With and Without Autism Spectrum DisorderQiandong Wang0Sio Pan Hoi1Ci Song2Tianbi Li3Cheuk Man Lam4Yuyin Wang5Li Yi6Beijing Key Laboratory of Applied Experimental Psychology, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Psychology Education (Beijing Normal University), Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, ChinaSchool of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences & Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing, ChinaSchool of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences & Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing, ChinaSchool of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences & Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing, ChinaInstitute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing, ChinaDepartment of Psychology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, ChinaSchool of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences & Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing, ChinaChildren with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibit abnormal visual attention, such as diminished attention to eyes and enhanced attention to high-autism-interest objects. We tested whether high-autism-interest objects would modulate the attention to eyes in boys with ASD and typically developing (TD) boys. Twenty-two ASD and 22 TD children were presented simultaneously with human eyes and high/low-autism-interest objects (HAI/LAI) while their eye movements were recorded. We found that visual preference for eyes was influenced by competing objects in children with and without ASD. Specifically, both children with and without ASD showed reduced overall and first looking preference when eyes were paired with HAI objects relative to LAI objects. Children with ASD also showed reduced sustained viewing preference to the eyes after first looking at the eyes and late looking preference to the eyes after first looking at the objects in the HAI condition than the LAI condition, but these effects were absent in the TD group. Our study not only helps us understand some factors that impact attention to eyes, but also has implications for interventions aiming at improving eye contact in children with ASD.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.627365/fullautism spectrum disordereye-avoidancecircumscribed interestsvisual attentioneye movement |
| spellingShingle | Qiandong Wang Sio Pan Hoi Ci Song Tianbi Li Cheuk Man Lam Yuyin Wang Li Yi Circumscribed Interest Modulates Attention to Eyes in Boys With and Without Autism Spectrum Disorder Frontiers in Psychiatry autism spectrum disorder eye-avoidance circumscribed interests visual attention eye movement |
| title | Circumscribed Interest Modulates Attention to Eyes in Boys With and Without Autism Spectrum Disorder |
| title_full | Circumscribed Interest Modulates Attention to Eyes in Boys With and Without Autism Spectrum Disorder |
| title_fullStr | Circumscribed Interest Modulates Attention to Eyes in Boys With and Without Autism Spectrum Disorder |
| title_full_unstemmed | Circumscribed Interest Modulates Attention to Eyes in Boys With and Without Autism Spectrum Disorder |
| title_short | Circumscribed Interest Modulates Attention to Eyes in Boys With and Without Autism Spectrum Disorder |
| title_sort | circumscribed interest modulates attention to eyes in boys with and without autism spectrum disorder |
| topic | autism spectrum disorder eye-avoidance circumscribed interests visual attention eye movement |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.627365/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT qiandongwang circumscribedinterestmodulatesattentiontoeyesinboyswithandwithoutautismspectrumdisorder AT siopanhoi circumscribedinterestmodulatesattentiontoeyesinboyswithandwithoutautismspectrumdisorder AT cisong circumscribedinterestmodulatesattentiontoeyesinboyswithandwithoutautismspectrumdisorder AT tianbili circumscribedinterestmodulatesattentiontoeyesinboyswithandwithoutautismspectrumdisorder AT cheukmanlam circumscribedinterestmodulatesattentiontoeyesinboyswithandwithoutautismspectrumdisorder AT yuyinwang circumscribedinterestmodulatesattentiontoeyesinboyswithandwithoutautismspectrumdisorder AT liyi circumscribedinterestmodulatesattentiontoeyesinboyswithandwithoutautismspectrumdisorder |