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Abstract:
This study set out to explore reflexive orienting to eye gaze
direction. Sixty-nine healthy subjects were presented with a gaze
direction matching task which necessitated viewing a central pair
of eyes gazing to one of four diagonals and matching this direction
to one of four pairs of eyes presented in the corners of the
screen. For half the trials the central eyes were looking towards
the location of the correct answer (Congruent condition). In the
remaining trials the correct answer was located in another position
(Non-Congruent condition). Although subjects were not informed of
the congruence dimension they were significantly faster and more
accurate on the Congruent as compared to Non-Congruent trials. To
test the specificity of this effect for eye stimuli subjects also
completed the same task where the central pair of eyes had been
replaced by an arrow. On this task subjects were also quicker and
more accurate on the Congruent as compared to Non-Congruent trials.
Significant task differences and a lack on interaction between Task
(Eyes/Arrows) and Congruence are suggestive of differential
processes required by the two tasks, independent of complexity of
operation. These findings are discussed in relation to
Baron-Cohen's model of the Eye Direction Detector.
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