Affective response to eye contact and face recognition ability in children with ASD
Open accessAbstract
This study tested the hypothesis that affective arousal in response to eye contact is negatively associated with face identification skills in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Participants were 20 children and adolescents with ASD and 20 age- and IQ-matched typically developing (TD) children. Skin conductance response (SCR), a psychophysiological measure of autonomic arousal, was collected while participants viewed faces with gaze directed toward them and faces with gaze averted away from them. Participants also completed an independent match-to-sample face recognition test. Children with ASD exhibited significantly larger SCRs than TD children to faces with direct and averted gaze. There were no differences between SCRs to direct gaze and averted gaze in either group. Children with ASD exhibited a marginally significant decrease in face recognition accuracy relative to TD children, particularly when face recognition depended on the eye region of the face. Face recognition accuracy among children with ASD was negatively correlated with the amplitude of SCRs to direct gaze but not to averted gaze. There was no association between face recognition accuracy and SCRs to gaze in the TD group. These findings suggest that autonomic reactivity to eye contact may interfere with face identity processing in some children with ASD. (JINS, 2008,14, 947–955.)
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In Joseph et al., almost all children with ASD fell into the normal range for face recognition accuracy by skin conductance response, with a few outliers.
“In measuring face recognition accuracy by skin conductance response, almost all children with ASD fell into the normal range with a few outliers (58).”
From Autism Spectrum Disorder in Children Is Not Associated With Abnormal Autonomic Nervous System Function: Hypothesis and Theory (2022) · cites this paper as [58]
The Face recognition methods section describes an accuracy test, and the paper reports skin conductance response (SCR) separately as a measure of arousal; accuracy was not measured by SCR. The Face Recognition results compare group averages but do not say that almost all children with ASD scored in the normal range with a few outliers. Page numbers are unavailable in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.88)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredChildren with ASD show increased arousal, as measured by SCR, to direct gaze compared with typically developing children.
“previous studies have also shown that children with ASD exhibit increased arousal (as measured by SCR) to direct gaze compared to TD children (Joseph, Ehrman, McNally, & Keehn, 2008; Kylliainen & Hietanen, 2006)”
From Atypical attentional networks and the emergence of autism (2013) · cites this paper as Joseph, Ehrman, McNally, & Keehn, 2008
Increased arousal to direct gaze is related to poorer face recognition skills in ASD.
“and that increased arousal to direct gaze is related to poorer face recognition skills in ASD (Joseph et al., 2008).”
From Atypical attentional networks and the emergence of autism (2013) · cites this paper as Joseph et al., 2008
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“In measuring face recognition accuracy by skin conductance response, almost all children with ASD fell into the normal range with a few outliers (58).”
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- Authors
- JOSEPH, R. M., EHRMAN, K., MCNALLY, R., & KEEHN, B.
- Affiliations
- Boston University (US)
- Corresponding author
- JOSEPH, ROBERT M.
- Venue
- Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press (CUP)
- Published
- 2008-10-27
- Volume
- 14
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 947-955
- ISSN
- 1355-6177 (ISSN-L)
- 1469-7661
- OpenAlex
- W2171140497
- Cited by
- 185
- References
- 56
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 11 · 2021: 11 · 2020: 10 · 2019: 12 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 15 · 2016: 7 · 2015: 12 · 2014: 16 · 2013: 21 · 2012: 17
- FWCI
- 3.97
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute of Mental Health (K01MH073944)
- National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (DC03610, U19 DC 03610, U19DC003610)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Face Recognition and Perception
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Child and Animal Learning Development
- Keywords
- autism spectrum disorder, eye contact, gaze direction, face recognition (cognition), emotional arousal, skin conductance response, autonomic arousal, children, face identity processing, gaze aversion
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Affect, Arousal, Autistic Disorder, Child, Face, Female, Fixation, Ocular, Galvanic Skin Response, Humans, Male, Neuropsychological Tests, Pattern Recognition, Visual, Photic Stimulation, Regression Analysis, Case-Control Studies
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