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Predictive Gaze During Observation of Irrational Actions in Adults with Autism Spectrum Conditions

Marsh, L. E., Pearson, Amy, Ropar, D. and Hamilton, A. F. de C. (2015) Predictive Gaze During Observation of Irrational Actions in Adults with Autism Spectrum Conditions. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 45 (1). pp. 245-261. ISSN 0162-3257

Item Type: Article

Abstract

Understanding irrational actions may require the observer to make mental state inferences about why an action was performed. Individuals with autism spectrum conditions (ASC) have well documented difficulties with mentalizing; however, the degree to which rationality understanding is impaired in autism is not yet clear. The present study uses eye-tracking to measure online understanding of action rationality in individuals with ASC. Twenty adults with ASC and 20 typically developing controls, matched for age and IQ watched movies of rational and irrational actions while their eye movements were recorded. Measures of looking time, scan path and saccade latency were calculated. Results from looking time and scan path analyses demonstrate that participants with ASC have reduced visual attention to salient action features such as the action goal and the hand performing the action, regardless of action rationality. However, when participants with ASC do attend to these features, they are able to make anticipatory goal saccades as quickly as typically developing controls. Taken together these results indicate that individuals with autism have reduced attention to observed actions, but when attention is maintained, goal prediction is typical. We conclude that the basic mechanisms of action understanding are intact in individuals with ASC although there may be impairment in the top-down, social modulation of eye movements.

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More Information

Depositing User: Amy Pearson

Identifiers

Item ID: 5872
Identification Number: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-014-2215-6
ISSN: 0162-3257
URI: http://sure.sunderland.ac.uk/id/eprint/5872
Official URL: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10803-0...

Users with ORCIDS

ORCID for Amy Pearson: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0001-7089-6103

Catalogue record

Date Deposited: 07 Jan 2016 16:11
Last Modified: 07 Jun 2022 03:30

Contributors

Author: Amy Pearson ORCID iD
Author: L. E. Marsh
Author: D. Ropar
Author: A. F. de C. Hamilton

University Divisions

Faculty of Health Sciences and Wellbeing
Faculty of Health Sciences and Wellbeing > School of Psychology

Subjects

Psychology

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