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Eye Tracking Young Children with Autism
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Reduced perceptual specialization in autism: Evidence from the other-race face effect
Bat-Sheva Hadad1, Sivan Schwartz1, Nahal Binur1
1Department of Special Education, Edmond J. Safra Brain Research Center, University of Haifa.
Journal of Experimental Psychology. General
|January 18, 2019
Summary
Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) show reduced face processing specialization, impacting their ability to distinguish own-race versus other-race faces. This suggests broader perceptual tuning may underlie atypical face perception in autism.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychology
- Developmental Science
Background:
- Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is associated with atypical perceptual representations.
- Reduced perceptual specialization may lead to broadly tuned representations in autism.
- The other-race effect (ORE) highlights specialization in face processing based on experience.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate face processing specialization in individuals with ASD by examining the ORE.
- To determine if reduced specialization underlies atypical face perception in autism.
- To assess face discrimination for own- and other-race faces, considering orientation effects.
Main Methods:
- Tested face discrimination for own- and other-race faces in typically developing individuals and individuals with ASD.
- Manipulated face morphing to vary discrimination difficulty and orientation to assess inversion effects.
- Analyzed sensitivity and inversion effects in relation to race and group.
Main Results:
- The ASD group showed lower overall face sensitivity and reduced inversion effects.
- The ORE was substantially smaller in the ASD group, indicating reduced own-race advantage.
- Reduced specialization for own-race faces and equivalent orientation sensitivity across races were observed in ASD.
Conclusions:
- Individuals with ASD exhibit broadly tuned face representations, rather than specialized ones.
- A failure in perceptual specialization may contribute to atypical face perception in autism.
- Findings suggest broader perceptual tuning underlies altered face processing in autism.
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