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

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 aut...

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Published in:Journal of Autism & Developmental Disorders Vol. 45; no. 1; pp. 245 - 262
Main Authors: Marsh, L., Pearson, A., Ropar, D., Hamilton, A.
Format: research Journal Article
Published: Springer Nature Jan2015
Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
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      dt: Jan2015
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      pub: Springer Nature
      place: New York, New York
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        atl: Predictive Gaze During Observation of Irrational Actions in Adults with Autism Spectrum Conditions.
      aug:
        au:
          Marsh, L.
          Pearson, A.
          Ropar, D.
          Hamilton, A.
        affil: School of Psychology, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD UK
      sug:
        subj:
          Autism Spectrum Disorder In Adulthood
          Mental Processes In Adulthood
          Human
          Eye Movements Evaluation
          Intelligence
          Path Analysis
          Attention
          Adult
          Control Group
          Experimental Studies
          Adult: 19-44 years
      ab: 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.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype:
        research
        Journal Article
      ougenre: Article
    language: English
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