Asymmetric frontal EEG activity to another person?s gaze: A comparison study between autistic and typically developing children.
MÄKELÄ, TIINA (2010)
2010
Psykologia - Psychology
Yhteiskuntatieteellinen tiedekunta - Faculty of Social Sciences
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Hyväksymispäivämäärä
2010-01-22
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/urn:nbn:fi:uta-1-20303
https://urn.fi/urn:nbn:fi:uta-1-20303
Tiivistelmä
Direction of gaze is a powerful social signal that has been associated with motivational tendencies of approach and avoidance. Recently, it has been found that another person's perceived direct and averted gaze can also activate the approach-avoidance motivational brain systems. Direct gaze of a person elicited relative greater left-sided frontal activation associated with approach-related motivation, whereas averted gaze elicited relative greater right-sided frontal activation associated with avoidance-related motivation.
The present study investigated frontal EEG asymmetry to different stimulus conditions in children with autism and typically developing children. The age of the participants ranged from 8 to 16 years. Three different face stimuli (direct gaze, averted gaze and eyes closed) and a control stimulus were used. Participants' gazing behaviour during stimulus presentation was recorded in order to be sure that the participants were looking at the stimuli. The participants' subjective evaluations of arousal and valence to different stimulus conditions were also investigated. Based on earlier studies with adults, we expected that the direct gaze would elicit left-sided frontal activation, whereas the averted gaze would elicit right-sided frontal activation in typically developing children. It was also hypothesized that if the autistic children experience eye contact with another person over-arousing, the direct gaze would elicit reduced left-sided or even greater right-sided frontal activation, whereas the eyes averted condition would elicit reduced right-sided or even relative left-sided frontal activation. Furthermore, we assumed that participants' subjective ratings of emotional valence and arousal would differ between different stimulus conditions and between children with autism and typically developing children. We expected that the direct gaze would be experienced as more arousing and less pleasant than other face stimuli conditions and that these differences would be more robust in children with autism.
Contrary to our expectations the asymmetry scores did not differentiate between different stimulus conditions or between the two groups of children. Left-sided frontal asymmetry was measured to all four stimulus conditions. In valence ratings the results revealed that direct gaze was evaluated as less pleasant than eyes closed. In arousal ratings, the direct gaze was evaluated as more arousing than averted gaze or eyes closed. Again no differences between children with autism and typically developing children were found. The gazing behaviour during different stimulus conditions did not differ between children with autism and typically developing children. The present study did not find support for the notion that another person's direct and averted gaze activates the approach-avoidance motivational brain systems in children with autism and typically developing children. In future studies the influence of age to these phenomena should be investigated. In addition, it should be noted that not all children with autism experience eye contact aversive. Therefore it would be interesting to divide children with autism into different groups based on their deficits in social interaction.
KEY WORDS: Autism, eye contact, gaze direction, EEG asymmetry, approach-avoidance motivation
The present study investigated frontal EEG asymmetry to different stimulus conditions in children with autism and typically developing children. The age of the participants ranged from 8 to 16 years. Three different face stimuli (direct gaze, averted gaze and eyes closed) and a control stimulus were used. Participants' gazing behaviour during stimulus presentation was recorded in order to be sure that the participants were looking at the stimuli. The participants' subjective evaluations of arousal and valence to different stimulus conditions were also investigated. Based on earlier studies with adults, we expected that the direct gaze would elicit left-sided frontal activation, whereas the averted gaze would elicit right-sided frontal activation in typically developing children. It was also hypothesized that if the autistic children experience eye contact with another person over-arousing, the direct gaze would elicit reduced left-sided or even greater right-sided frontal activation, whereas the eyes averted condition would elicit reduced right-sided or even relative left-sided frontal activation. Furthermore, we assumed that participants' subjective ratings of emotional valence and arousal would differ between different stimulus conditions and between children with autism and typically developing children. We expected that the direct gaze would be experienced as more arousing and less pleasant than other face stimuli conditions and that these differences would be more robust in children with autism.
Contrary to our expectations the asymmetry scores did not differentiate between different stimulus conditions or between the two groups of children. Left-sided frontal asymmetry was measured to all four stimulus conditions. In valence ratings the results revealed that direct gaze was evaluated as less pleasant than eyes closed. In arousal ratings, the direct gaze was evaluated as more arousing than averted gaze or eyes closed. Again no differences between children with autism and typically developing children were found. The gazing behaviour during different stimulus conditions did not differ between children with autism and typically developing children. The present study did not find support for the notion that another person's direct and averted gaze activates the approach-avoidance motivational brain systems in children with autism and typically developing children. In future studies the influence of age to these phenomena should be investigated. In addition, it should be noted that not all children with autism experience eye contact aversive. Therefore it would be interesting to divide children with autism into different groups based on their deficits in social interaction.
KEY WORDS: Autism, eye contact, gaze direction, EEG asymmetry, approach-avoidance motivation