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Autistic Symptomatology, Face Processing Abilities, and Eye Fixation Patterns

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Abstract

Deviant gaze behavior is a defining characteristic of autism. Its relevance as a pathophysiological mechanism, however, remains unknown. In the present study, we compared eye fixations of 20 adults with autism and 21 controls while they were engaged in taking the Multifaceted Empathy Test (MET). Additional measures of face emotion and identity recognition were also obtained. While both groups fixated more on the face and mouth in the emotion recognition than in the face identity condition of the MET, individuals with autism fixated less on the face across MET conditions. Correlation analysis revealed associations between fixation time on the eyes and face processing abilities. Our results suggest that eye fixation patterns are an important characteristic of the social phenotype of autism.

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Acknowledgment

This study was supported by the Max Planck Society, the BMBF Social Cognition and the Organisation of Autism Research. We would like to thank Olaf Dimigen (Humboldt Universität, Berlin) for his help in the analysis of the eye tracking data and Werner Sommer (Humboldt Universität, Berlin) for helpful comments on the manuscript. Also we want to thank all the participants for their cooperation. Part of the study was presented at the 2nd Scientific Meeting for Autism Spectrum Conditions (WTAS), Frankfurt, Germany.

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  1. Jennifer C. Kirchner, Alexander Hatri, Hauke R. Heekeren & Isabel Dziobek

    Present address: Cluster of Excellence: “Languages of Emotion”, Freie Universität Berlin, Habelschwerdter Allee 45, 14195, Berlin, Germany

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Max-Planck-Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany

    Jennifer C. Kirchner, Alexander Hatri, Hauke R. Heekeren & Isabel Dziobek

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  1. Jennifer C. Kirchner
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  2. Alexander Hatri
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  4. Isabel Dziobek
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Correspondence to Isabel Dziobek.

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Kirchner, J.C., Hatri, A., Heekeren, H.R. et al. Autistic Symptomatology, Face Processing Abilities, and Eye Fixation Patterns. J Autism Dev Disord 41, 158–167 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-010-1032-9

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