Asymmetry in Gaze Direction Discrimination Between the Upper and Lower Visual Fields.

Area of Science:

• Visual perception
• Social cognition

Background:

• Gaze direction discrimination is limited horizontally to parafoveal vision.
• Head orientation influences gaze judgments beyond parafoveal limits.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate gaze discrimination in the upper and lower visual fields.
• To determine the effect of head orientation on gaze judgments beyond parafoveal vision.

Main Methods:

• Presenting direct and averted gaze faces with frontal and deviated head orientations.
• Measuring gaze discrimination performance along the vertical meridian at various eccentricities.

Main Results:

• Gaze discrimination was above chance in congruent conditions across eccentricities.
• Incongruent conditions showed above-chance discrimination only within ±3°, with UVF/LVF asymmetry.
• Perception beyond foveal vision was biased by head orientation, particularly in the LVF.

Conclusions:

• Covert gaze processing integrates eye and head cues.
• Congruency between eye and head cues influences visual field differences in gaze discrimination.