Dynamic Gaze Patterns Predict Performance on the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Theory of Mind (ToM), the ability to attribute intentions, beliefs, and emotions to others, is a fundamental component of social cognition. Visual attention plays a major role in ToM capabilities, but its investigation is limited within social cognition literature. The present study investigated whether dynamic visual attention patterns towards a ToM measure were associated with the performance in the instrument. 55 non-clinical adults, aged between 19 and 36 years, responded to the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET) while using eye-tracking technology. Moreover, responded to a Basic Emotion Recognition Task (TREC), alongside the Broad Autism Phenotype Questionnaire (BAPQ). Results indicated that the revisit rate in regard to RMET visual stimuli was the sole significant predictor of accuracy on the test. No further associations between eye movements patterns and RMET performance were evidenced. Notably, these findings suggest the importance of including dynamic eye-tracking variables over and above static gaze fixation metrics to interpret the interplay between psycological tests’ results and cognitive markers.
Language: English
Subfield: Developmental and Educational Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7208740398