Details
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 55-66 |
| Number of pages | 12 |
| Journal | Cognitive neuroscience |
| Volume | 7 |
| Issue number | 1-4 |
| Early online date | 23 Jun 2015 |
| Publication status | Published - 2016 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Abstract
Humans are highly sensitive to directional gaze cues and rapidly shift attention in accordance with others’ gaze (i.e., gaze following). Besides providing information about the physical environment, for instance, the location of an object, gaze direction can be used to extract information about the social environment, such as whether or not two people are interacting with each other. In the present fMRI study we investigated how these two different types of information conveyed by gaze direction interact with one another. Participants saw two faces that were either looking at each other or away from each other before jointly shifting gaze toward one of two target locations. Targets either appeared at the gazed at or the non-gazed at location. Behaviorally, gaze following (faster responses to congruent versus incongruent trials) was more prominent after observing eye contact than after observing no eye contact. In line with behavioral findings, neuroimaging results revealed enhanced activation in fronto-parietal and temporal areas in congruent trials when faces had looked at each other versus away from each other. These findings demonstrate that observing an attentional relation between others augments processing of their subsequent gaze cues.
Keywords
- fMRI, Gaze following, Joint attention, Social cognition
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Neuroscience(all)
- Cognitive Neuroscience
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In: Cognitive neuroscience, Vol. 7, No. 1-4, 2016, p. 55-66.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - (How) observed eye-contact modulates gaze following. An fMRI study
AU - Böckler, Anne
AU - Eskenazi, Terry
AU - Sebanz, Natalie
AU - Rueschemeyer, Shirley Ann
PY - 2016
Y1 - 2016
N2 - Humans are highly sensitive to directional gaze cues and rapidly shift attention in accordance with others’ gaze (i.e., gaze following). Besides providing information about the physical environment, for instance, the location of an object, gaze direction can be used to extract information about the social environment, such as whether or not two people are interacting with each other. In the present fMRI study we investigated how these two different types of information conveyed by gaze direction interact with one another. Participants saw two faces that were either looking at each other or away from each other before jointly shifting gaze toward one of two target locations. Targets either appeared at the gazed at or the non-gazed at location. Behaviorally, gaze following (faster responses to congruent versus incongruent trials) was more prominent after observing eye contact than after observing no eye contact. In line with behavioral findings, neuroimaging results revealed enhanced activation in fronto-parietal and temporal areas in congruent trials when faces had looked at each other versus away from each other. These findings demonstrate that observing an attentional relation between others augments processing of their subsequent gaze cues.
AB - Humans are highly sensitive to directional gaze cues and rapidly shift attention in accordance with others’ gaze (i.e., gaze following). Besides providing information about the physical environment, for instance, the location of an object, gaze direction can be used to extract information about the social environment, such as whether or not two people are interacting with each other. In the present fMRI study we investigated how these two different types of information conveyed by gaze direction interact with one another. Participants saw two faces that were either looking at each other or away from each other before jointly shifting gaze toward one of two target locations. Targets either appeared at the gazed at or the non-gazed at location. Behaviorally, gaze following (faster responses to congruent versus incongruent trials) was more prominent after observing eye contact than after observing no eye contact. In line with behavioral findings, neuroimaging results revealed enhanced activation in fronto-parietal and temporal areas in congruent trials when faces had looked at each other versus away from each other. These findings demonstrate that observing an attentional relation between others augments processing of their subsequent gaze cues.
KW - fMRI
KW - Gaze following
KW - Joint attention
KW - Social cognition
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84933073588&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/17588928.2015.1053442
DO - 10.1080/17588928.2015.1053442
M3 - Article
C2 - 25996424
AN - SCOPUS:84933073588
VL - 7
SP - 55
EP - 66
JO - Cognitive neuroscience
JF - Cognitive neuroscience
SN - 1758-8928
IS - 1-4
ER -