RT Journal Article
T1 Visual preference for social vs. non-social images in young children with autism spectrum disorders. An eye tracking study
A1 Vacas, Julia
A1 Antolí, Adoración
A1 Sánchez-Raya, Araceli
A1 Pérez-Dueñas, Carolina
A1 Cuadrado, Fátima
K1 Children
K1 Autism spectrum disorder
K1 Social attention
K1 Eye tracking
K1 Niño
K1 Trastorno del espectro autista
K1 Atención
K1 Tecnología de seguimiento ocular
AB Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are associated to social attention (SA) impairments. A gaze bias to non-social objects over faces has been proposed as an early marker of ASD. This bias may be related to the concomitant circumscribed interests (CI), which question the role of competing objects in this atypical visual behavior. The aim of this study was to compare visual attention patterns to social and non-social images in young children with ASD and matched typical controls (N = 36; age range 41-73 months) assessing the role of emotion in facial stimuli and the type of competing object. A paired preference task was designed pairing happy, angry, and neutral faces with two types of objects (related or not related to autism CI). Eye tracking data were collected, and three indexes were considered as dependent variables: prioritization (attentional orientation), preference, and duration (sustained attention). Results showed that both groups had similar visual pattern to faces (prioritization, more attention and longer visits to faces paired with objects non-related to their CI); however, the ASD group attended to faces significantly less than controls. Children with ASD showed an emotional bias (late orientation to angry faces and typical preference for happy faces). Finally, objects related to their CI captured attention in both groups, significantly reducing SA in children with ASD. Atypical SA is present in young children with ASD regardless the competing non-social object. Identifying strengths and difficulties in SA in this population may have substantial repercussion for early diagnosis, intervention, and ultimately prognosis.
PB Public Library of Science
YR 2021
FD 2021-06-04
LK http://hdl.handle.net/10668/4253
UL http://hdl.handle.net/10668/4253
LA en
NO Vacas J, Antolí A, Sánchez-Raya A, Pérez-Dueñas C, Cuadrado F. Visual preference for social vs. non-social images in young children with autism spectrum disorders. An eye tracking study. PLoS One. 2021 Jun 4;16(6):e0252795
DS RISalud
RD Apr 18, 2025