Abstract
In the visual search task, it is well known that detection of a tilted straight line as the target among vertical lines that act as distractors is easier than vice versa, and that detection of a snake image as the target among flower images is easier than vice versa. In this study, the degree of such search asymmetry was compared between 18 children with autism and 14 typically developing (TD) children. The results revealed that compared to TD children, children with autism were disproportionally slow when asked to detect the flower among the snake images, suggesting the possibility that they experienced difficulty of disengaging their attention from the snake images. This delayed disengagement would serve itself as an enhanced attentional bias toward snakes in children with autism that is similar to characteristics of visual search performance in anxiety patients.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 00241 |
| Journal | Frontiers in Psychology |
| Volume | 6 |
| Issue number | MAR |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2015 Jan 1 |
| Externally published | Yes |
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Keywords
- Attention
- Autism
- Biological adaptation
- Cognitive impairment
- Snake fear
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Psychology(all)
Cite this
Delayed disengagement of attention from snakes in children with autism. / Isomura, Tomoko; Ogawa, Shino; Shibasaki, Masahiro; Masataka, Nobuo.
In: Frontiers in Psychology, Vol. 6, No. MAR, 00241, 01.01.2015.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Delayed disengagement of attention from snakes in children with autism
AU - Isomura, Tomoko
AU - Ogawa, Shino
AU - Shibasaki, Masahiro
AU - Masataka, Nobuo
PY - 2015/1/1
Y1 - 2015/1/1
N2 - In the visual search task, it is well known that detection of a tilted straight line as the target among vertical lines that act as distractors is easier than vice versa, and that detection of a snake image as the target among flower images is easier than vice versa. In this study, the degree of such search asymmetry was compared between 18 children with autism and 14 typically developing (TD) children. The results revealed that compared to TD children, children with autism were disproportionally slow when asked to detect the flower among the snake images, suggesting the possibility that they experienced difficulty of disengaging their attention from the snake images. This delayed disengagement would serve itself as an enhanced attentional bias toward snakes in children with autism that is similar to characteristics of visual search performance in anxiety patients.
AB - In the visual search task, it is well known that detection of a tilted straight line as the target among vertical lines that act as distractors is easier than vice versa, and that detection of a snake image as the target among flower images is easier than vice versa. In this study, the degree of such search asymmetry was compared between 18 children with autism and 14 typically developing (TD) children. The results revealed that compared to TD children, children with autism were disproportionally slow when asked to detect the flower among the snake images, suggesting the possibility that they experienced difficulty of disengaging their attention from the snake images. This delayed disengagement would serve itself as an enhanced attentional bias toward snakes in children with autism that is similar to characteristics of visual search performance in anxiety patients.
KW - Attention
KW - Autism
KW - Biological adaptation
KW - Cognitive impairment
KW - Snake fear
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84926434519&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84926434519&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00241
DO - 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00241
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84926434519
VL - 6
JO - Frontiers in Psychology
JF - Frontiers in Psychology
SN - 1664-1078
IS - MAR
M1 - 00241
ER -