Windows to the Social Mind: What Eye-Tracking Reveals About Theory of Mind in Children and Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Human social life is dependent on the ability of individuals to understand other people as separate cognitive agents, capable of thought independent from themselves. This understanding and the attribution of mental states to others, often called Theory of Mind (ToM), is a naturally developing abilit...

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Autores: Chahboun, Sobh, Sullivan, Brian, Saldaña Sage, David, Vulchanova, Mila, Micai, Martina
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2025
País:España
Institución:Universidad de Sevilla (US)
Repositorio:idUS. Depósito de Investigación de la Universidad de Sevilla
OAI Identifier:oai:idus.us.es:11441/180713
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/11441/180713
https://doi.org/ 10.3390/bs15121622
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Autism Spectrum Disorder
Theory of mind
Eye tracking
Social cognition
Cognitive development
Social perception
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spelling Windows to the Social Mind: What Eye-Tracking Reveals About Theory of Mind in Children and Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)Chahboun, SobhSullivan, BrianSaldaña Sage, DavidVulchanova, MilaMicai, MartinaAutism Spectrum DisorderTheory of mindEye trackingSocial cognitionCognitive developmentSocial perceptionHuman social life is dependent on the ability of individuals to understand other people as separate cognitive agents, capable of thought independent from themselves. This understanding and the attribution of mental states to others, often called Theory of Mind (ToM), is a naturally developing ability. Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) seem to experience difficulty in attributing mental states to others, and this may explain impaired social interaction and communication behaviors. The Frith-Happé animations are short videos designed to test ToM development by varying the degree of intentionality present and asking viewers to describe their interpretation. The present study recorded eye movements and verbal descriptions in 15 children and 23 young adults with ASD and 20 and 15 typically developing (TD) peers, respectively. The results showed eye movement patterns in ASD and TD children did not differ significantly, but both groups differed from adults in their verbal responses. Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) produced shorter (F(1,60) = 5.8, p = 0.019) and less appropriate (F(1,60) = 4.4, p = 0.04) ToM descriptions than TD peers, although their eye movement patterns were comparable to those of TD children. While low-level visual processing may be intact in individuals with ASD, challenges with social cognition and verbal expression may remain.MDPIPsicología Evolutiva y de la EducaciónMinisterio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (MICIU). EspañaAgencia Estatal de Investigación. España2025info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionapplication/pdfhttps://hdl.handle.net/11441/180713https://doi.org/ 10.3390/bs15121622reponame:idUS. Depósito de Investigación de la Universidad de Sevillainstname:Universidad de Sevilla (US)InglésBehavioral Sciences, 15 (12), 1622.PID2021-122658NB-I00https://doi.org/ 10.3390/bs15121622info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:idus.us.es:11441/1807132026-06-17T12:51:07Z
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Windows to the Social Mind: What Eye-Tracking Reveals About Theory of Mind in Children and Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
title Windows to the Social Mind: What Eye-Tracking Reveals About Theory of Mind in Children and Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
spellingShingle Windows to the Social Mind: What Eye-Tracking Reveals About Theory of Mind in Children and Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
Chahboun, Sobh
Autism Spectrum Disorder
Theory of mind
Eye tracking
Social cognition
Cognitive development
Social perception
title_short Windows to the Social Mind: What Eye-Tracking Reveals About Theory of Mind in Children and Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
title_full Windows to the Social Mind: What Eye-Tracking Reveals About Theory of Mind in Children and Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
title_fullStr Windows to the Social Mind: What Eye-Tracking Reveals About Theory of Mind in Children and Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
title_full_unstemmed Windows to the Social Mind: What Eye-Tracking Reveals About Theory of Mind in Children and Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
title_sort Windows to the Social Mind: What Eye-Tracking Reveals About Theory of Mind in Children and Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Chahboun, Sobh
Sullivan, Brian
Saldaña Sage, David
Vulchanova, Mila
Micai, Martina
author Chahboun, Sobh
author_facet Chahboun, Sobh
Sullivan, Brian
Saldaña Sage, David
Vulchanova, Mila
Micai, Martina
author_role author
author2 Sullivan, Brian
Saldaña Sage, David
Vulchanova, Mila
Micai, Martina
author2_role author
author
author
author
dc.contributor.none.fl_str_mv Psicología Evolutiva y de la Educación
Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (MICIU). España
Agencia Estatal de Investigación. España
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Autism Spectrum Disorder
Theory of mind
Eye tracking
Social cognition
Cognitive development
Social perception
topic Autism Spectrum Disorder
Theory of mind
Eye tracking
Social cognition
Cognitive development
Social perception
description Human social life is dependent on the ability of individuals to understand other people as separate cognitive agents, capable of thought independent from themselves. This understanding and the attribution of mental states to others, often called Theory of Mind (ToM), is a naturally developing ability. Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) seem to experience difficulty in attributing mental states to others, and this may explain impaired social interaction and communication behaviors. The Frith-Happé animations are short videos designed to test ToM development by varying the degree of intentionality present and asking viewers to describe their interpretation. The present study recorded eye movements and verbal descriptions in 15 children and 23 young adults with ASD and 20 and 15 typically developing (TD) peers, respectively. The results showed eye movement patterns in ASD and TD children did not differ significantly, but both groups differed from adults in their verbal responses. Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) produced shorter (F(1,60) = 5.8, p = 0.019) and less appropriate (F(1,60) = 4.4, p = 0.04) ToM descriptions than TD peers, although their eye movement patterns were comparable to those of TD children. While low-level visual processing may be intact in individuals with ASD, challenges with social cognition and verbal expression may remain.
publishDate 2025
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2025
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
format article
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv https://hdl.handle.net/11441/180713
https://doi.org/ 10.3390/bs15121622
url https://hdl.handle.net/11441/180713
https://doi.org/ 10.3390/bs15121622
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv Inglés
language_invalid_str_mv Inglés
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv Behavioral Sciences, 15 (12), 1622.
PID2021-122658NB-I00
https://doi.org/ 10.3390/bs15121622
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv MDPI
publisher.none.fl_str_mv MDPI
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv reponame:idUS. Depósito de Investigación de la Universidad de Sevilla
instname:Universidad de Sevilla (US)
instname_str Universidad de Sevilla (US)
reponame_str idUS. Depósito de Investigación de la Universidad de Sevilla
collection idUS. Depósito de Investigación de la Universidad de Sevilla
repository.name.fl_str_mv
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