The Effects of Contingency and Sex on Social Visual Engagement within the First 6 Months of Life in Infants with and without Autism Open Access
Kushner, Elizabeth (Summer 2023)
Abstract
Previous studies have demonstrated distinct trajectories of social visual engagement, measured using eye tracking, among infants later diagnosed with autism and that levels of eye fixation predict levels of social disability in this population. Most studies measuring social visual engagement among infants and children with autism have utilized prerecorded stimuli, thus, the extent to which patterns observed in these paradigms extend to naturalistic contingent interaction is unknown. The present study examines social visual engagement among typically developing infants and those later diagnosed with autism when viewing a set of standardized prerecorded videos of actresses engaging in non-contingent social behavior (unfamiliar/non-contingent clips) as well as a live contingent interaction with their caregiver (familiar/contingent clips) at both 3 and 6 months of age. Results indicate that typically developing males increase their eye fixation when viewing both unfamiliar/non-contingent and familiar/contingent clips from 3 to 6 months, whereas males later diagnosed with autism increase in their eye fixation only when viewing unfamiliar/non-contingent clips. Female infants later diagnosed with autism show similar fixation patterns to typically developing females, aside from elevated levels of eye fixation when viewing familiar/contingent interaction at 3 months. The present study indicates differences in infants’ viewing of unfamiliar/non-contingent stimuli compared to naturalistic contingent interaction with a caregiver as well as sex differences in patterns of social visual engagement. Examining social visual engagement in naturalistic interactions may allow for a more complete picture of the interactions between infants and their environments in shaping social attention over time.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
I. Introduction…………………………………………………7
II. Methods……………………………………………………15
III. Results……………………………………………………...21
IV. Discussion………………………………………………….26
V. References………………………………………………….34
VI. Tables………………………………………………………40
VII. Figures……………………………………………………...42
List of Tables
Table 1. Demographic Information by Infant Diagnostic Group and Sex
Table 2. Average Viewing Time and Excluded Clips by Infant Diagnosis and Sex
Table 3. Results of Multilevel Models for Eye Fixation for Male and Female Infants: Effects of and Interactions Between Clip Type, Diagnostic Group, and Age
Table 4. Results of Multilevel Models for Mouth Fixation for Male and Female Infants: Effects of and Interactions Between Clip Type, Diagnostic Group, and Age
List of Figures
Figure 1. Collection of Infant Eye-tracking Data and Study Design
Figure 2. Regions of Interest: Eyes, Mouth, Body, and Background Objects
Figure 3. Eye Fixation for Females and Males: Clip Type, Diagnostic Group, and Age
Figure 4. Mouth Fixation for Females and Males: Clip Type, Diagnostic Group, and Age
About this Master's Thesis
| School | |
|---|---|
| Department | |
| Subfield / Discipline | |
| Degree | |
| Submission | |
| Language |
|
| Research Field | |
| Keyword | |
| Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor | |
| Committee Members |
Primary PDF
| Thumbnail | Title | Date Uploaded | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
The Effects of Contingency and Sex on Social Visual Engagement within the First 6 Months of Life in Infants with and without Autism () | 2023-08-07 12:27:40 -0400 |
|
Supplemental Files
| Thumbnail | Title | Date Uploaded | Actions |
|---|