Study of Eye Contact and Stress Responses During Conversations in Adults With and Without Autism

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are studying how adults with autism spectrum disorder ASD make eye contact during both formal and informal conversations. The study aims to understand how the type of conversation affects eye contact in terms of length, frequency, and overall behavior. It also seeks to measure physiological responses to eye contact to see if it causes increased, decreased, or unchanged stress levels, and to compare how people with ASD respond to others eye contact versus their own. The study uses an exploratory mixed methods design with two parts. In the first part, a researcher has a conversation with an adult with ASD, including a formal and informal phase. During this conversation, hidden recordings capture the participants eye behavior while skin conductance and eye contact measures are recorded without the participant knowing the focus on eye contact. In the second part, the participant and researcher watch the hidden recordings together while skin conductance is recorded again and specific behaviors are noted. The setup and physiological measurements are tested beforehand. Participants will be evaluated through video, audio, and skin conductance recordings to assess frequency and duration of eye contact, arousal during eye contact, and reflection on their own eye contact. The study will measure both behavioral and physiological data during interactions and review phases. The research involves adults aged 18 to 65, including neurotypical individuals and those with ASD, and participation includes interaction sessions and follow-up observation of recorded behaviors.

Course of Face-to-face Interactions in Adults With Autism