Autistic Traits modulate Social Attention in Dynamic Scenes: An Eye Tracking Study
Year: 2019
Type: other
Abstract: Gaze behavior represents a crucial tool for communication and is therefore of vital importance in real life social interactions. Evolutionary signaling theory suggests that individuals use certain nonverbal signals, such as eye gaze, in order to convey leadership qualities to followers. We hypothesized that subjects would show increased eye signalling if put in a situation where they had to motivate others. Increased amounts of eye contact are for example related to dominance and expertise (Source). In order to assess socially relevant leadership skills in a student population, we used the Student Leadership Practices Inventory (SLPI), a questionnaire designed to measure skills besides the typical models that describe leadership specifically for management or businesses environments.Using eye-tracking technology, we had n = 72 college students speak as leaders to a previously recorded audience of four followers. Believing that the others were live on screen, the subjects (playing the role of a leader) were told to motivate the others to invest more of their resources in a fictional negotiation game. Eye signaling was measured as fixations on dynamic areas of interest located on the eye region of the videotaped audience. Results show increased fixation counts towards the eye regions of followers in students scoring higher on SLPI.This is in line with our hypothesis and shows that leadership practices are indeed reflected in one of the most basic nonverbal behavior during social encounters. Our findings advance our understanding of the basis of leadership practice in social interactions.
Authors: Thomas Campidell, Lucas Haraped, Simon Liegl
Language: English
Subfield: Cognitive Neuroscience
Field: Neuroscience
Domain: Life Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W4212976409