Affective–motivational brain responses to direct gaze in children with autism spectrum disorder

Metadata sources used for this reference

OpenAlex Crossref OpenCitations
Learn more about the sources used

Kylliäinen, A., Wallace, S., Coutanche, M. N., Leppänen, J., Cusack, J., Bailey, A., & Hietanen, J. K. (2012). Affective–motivational brain responses to direct gaze in children with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 53(7), 790-797. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7610.2011.02522.x

Publication date: 25 Jan 2012 Added to AutiHub: 5 Jul 2026 Type: Article Article language: English
OpenAlex source Publisher source (DOI)

This publication is integrated into AutiHub through:

Authors

Publication authors
7
Publication authors identified as autistic
1 / 7 (14.3%)
  1. Anneli Kylliäinen
  2. Simon Wallace
  3. Marc N. Coutanche
  4. Jukka Leppänen
  1. James Cusack *
  2. Anthony Bailey
  3. Jari K. Hietanen

Abstract

BACKGROUND: It is unclear why children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) tend to be inattentive to, or even avoid eye contact. The goal of this study was to investigate affective-motivational brain responses to direct gaze in children with ASD. To this end, we combined two measurements: skin conductance responses (SCR), a robust arousal measure, and asymmetry in frontal electroencephalography (EEG) activity which is associated with motivational approach and avoidance tendencies. We also explored whether degree of eye openness and face familiarity modulated these responses. METHODS: Skin conductance responses and frontal EEG activity were recorded from 14 children with ASD and 15 typically developing children whilst they looked at familiar and unfamiliar faces with eyes shut, normally open or wide-open. Stimuli were presented in such a way that they appeared to be looming towards the children. RESULTS: In typically developing children, there were no significant differences in SCRs between the different eye conditions, whereas in the ASD group the SCRs were attenuated to faces with closed eyes and increased as a function of the degree of eye openness. In both groups, familiar faces elicited marginally greater SCRs than unfamiliar faces. In typically developing children, normally open eyes elicited greater relative left-sided frontal EEG activity (associated with motivational approach) than shut eyes and wide-open eyes. In the ASD group, there were no significant differences between the gaze conditions in frontal EEG activity. CONCLUSIONS: Collectively, the results replicate previous finding in showing atypical modulation of arousal in response to direct gaze in children with ASD but do not support the assumption that this response is associated with an avoidant motivational tendency. Instead, children with ASD may lack normative approach-related motivational response to eye contact.

Bibliography cited by this reference

Cited references are imported from external metadata sources when they are available. The list may be partial.

Bibliography inclusion overview

These indicators describe the cited bibliography imported for this publication. Cited-reference metrics use the cited-reference total as denominator. Cited-author metrics state whether they use all cited-author occurrences or only occurrences linked to authors already integrated in the AutiHub database. They use cached links between cited authors and authors integrated in the AutiHub database. Last computed: 16 Aug 2026 11:30.

Cited references
34
Total cited references integrated for this publication.
Cited references with an identified autistic author
0 / 34 (0.0%)
Cited author occurrences identified as autistic
0 / 148 (0.0%)
Among occurrences linked to AutiHub author records: 0 / 24 (0.0%). Distinct cited authors identified as autistic: 0 / 132 (0.0%).
Cited author occurrences linked to AutiHub author records
24 / 148 (16.2%)
Distinct linked cited authors: 18 / 132 (13.6%)
Linked cited-author occurrences not identified as autistic
24 / 24 (100.0%)
Among linked cited-author occurrences only. Across all cited-author occurrences: 24 / 148 (16.2%). Distinct linked cited authors not identified as autistic: 18 / 18 (100.0%).
  1. John T. Cacioppo , John T. Cacioppo , John T. Cacioppo , John T. Cacioppo , Tor D. Wager , Diego A. Pizzagalli et al. (2001). Handbook of Psychophysiology . Cambridge University Press.
    Type: Book DOI: 10.1017/cbo9780511546396 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W1594278800
    OpenAlex
  2. John J.B. Allen , James A. Coan , Maria Nazarian (2004). Issues and assumptions on the road from raw signals to metrics of frontal EEG asymmetry in emotion . Biological Psychology, 67(1-2), 183-218. Elsevier BV.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2004.03.007 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2129413308
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  3. M. Ida Gobbini , James V. Haxby (2007). Neural systems for recognition of familiar faces . Neuropsychologia, 45(1), 32-41. Elsevier BV.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2006.04.015 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2106700140
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  4. Courtney P. Burnette , Heather A. Henderson , Anne Pradella Inge , Nicole E. Zahka , Caley B. Schwartz , Peter C. Mundy (2011). Anterior EEG Asymmetry and the Modifier Model of Autism . Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 41(8), 1113-1124. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1007/s10803-010-1138-0 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W1964002463
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  5. John L. Andreassi (2000). Psychophysiology: Human Behavior & Physiological Response .
    Type: Book OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W3003082921
    Crossref OpenAlex
  6. Kim M Dalton , Brendon M Nacewicz , Tom Johnstone , Hillary S Schaefer , Morton Ann Gernsbacher , H. Hill Goldsmith et al. (2005). Gaze fixation and the neural circuitry of face processing in autism . Nature Neuroscience, 8(4), 519-526. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1038/nn1421 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2128592952
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  7. Heribert V. Semlitsch , Peter Anderer , Peter Schuster , Otto Presslich (1986). A Solution for Reliable and Valid Reduction of Ocular Artifacts, Applied to the P300 ERP . Psychophysiology, 23(6), 695-703. Wiley.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-8986.1986.tb00696.x OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W1967570549
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  8. Chris Ashwin , Simon Baron-Cohen , Sally Wheelwright , Michelle O’Riordan , Edward T. Bullmore (2007). Differential activation of the amygdala and the ‘social brain’ during fearful face-processing in Asperger Syndrome . Neuropsychologia, 45(1), 2-14. Elsevier BV.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2006.04.014 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2022111475
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  9. Noah Merin , Gregory S. Young , Sally Ozonoff , Sally J. Rogers (2007). Visual Fixation Patterns during Reciprocal Social Interaction Distinguish a Subgroup of 6-Month-Old Infants At-Risk for Autism from Comparison Infants . Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 37(1), 108-121. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1007/s10803-006-0342-4 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2113820755
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  10. Jari K. Hietanen , Jukka Leppänen , Mikko J. Peltola , Kati Linna-aho , Heidi J. Ruuhiala (2008). Seeing direct and averted gaze activates the approach–avoidance motivational brain systems . Neuropsychologia, 46(9), 2423-2430. Elsevier BV.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2008.02.029 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W1969140127
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  11. Margaret M. Bradley , Peter J. Lang (1994). Measuring emotion: The self-assessment manikin and the semantic differential . Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 25(1), 49-59. Elsevier BV.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1016/0005-7916(94)90063-9 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2167557160
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  12. Géraldine Dawson , Sara Jane Webb , James McPartland (2005). Understanding the Nature of Face Processing Impairment in Autism: Insights From Behavioral and Electrophysiological Studies . Developmental Neuropsychology, 27(3), 403-424. Informa UK Limited.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1207/s15326942dn2703_6 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2045007565
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  13. F. J. McGuigan , John L. Andreassi (1981). Psychophysiology -- Human Behavior and Physiological Response . The American Journal of Psychology, 94(2), 359. University of Illinois Press.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.2307/1422751 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W1978980572
    OpenAlex
  14. Atsushi Senju , Mark H. Johnson (2009). Atypical eye contact in autism: Models, mechanisms and development . Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 33(8), 1204-1214. Elsevier BV.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2009.06.001 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2154296060
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  15. Anneli Kylliäinen , Jari K. Hietanen (2006). Skin Conductance Responses to Another Person’s Gaze in Children with Autism . Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 36(4), 517-525. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1007/s10803-006-0091-4 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W1988559821
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  16. Dan Tranel , Don C. Fowles , Antonio R. Damasio (1985). Electrodermal Discrimination of Familiar and Unfamiliar Faces: A Methodology . Psychophysiology, 22(4), 403-408. Wiley.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-8986.1985.tb01623.x OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2007034734
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  17. Emily Werner , Géraldine Dawson , Jeffrey Munson , Julie Osterling (2005). Variation in Early Developmental Course in Autism and its Relation with Behavioral Outcome at 3–4 Years of Age . Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 35(3), 337-350. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1007/s10803-005-3301-6 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2001385992
    OpenAlex OpenCitations
  18. Davidson R.J. (1984). Emotion, cognition, and behaviour . Emotion, cognition, and behaviour, 320.
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  19. Steven K. Sutton , Courtney P. Burnette , Peter C. Mundy , Jessica Meyer , Amy Vaughan , Chris Sanders et al. (2005). Resting cortical brain activity and social behavior in higher functioning children with autism . Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 46(2), 211-222. Wiley.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-7610.2004.00341.x OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2160222304
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  20. Davidson R.J. (1995). Brain asymmetry . Brain asymmetry, 361.
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  21. Benjamin H. Detenber , Robert F. Simons , Gary G. Bennett (1998). Roll ‘em!: The effects of picture motion on emotional responses . Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 42(1), 113-127. Informa UK Limited.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1080/08838159809364437 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2016713906
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  22. Géraldine Dawson , Leslie Carver , Andrew N Meltzoff , Heracles Panagiotides , James McPartland , Sara Jane Webb (2002). Neural Correlates of Face and Object Recognition in Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Developmental Delay, and Typical Development . Child Development, 73(3), 700-717. Oxford University Press (OUP).
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1111/1467-8624.00433 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2162250902
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  23. Dawson M.E. (2000). Handbook of psychophysiology . Handbook of psychophysiology, 200.
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  24. David T. Lykken , Peter H. Venables (1971). DIRECT MEASUREMENT OF SKIN CONDUCTANCE: A PROPOSAL FOR STANDARDIZATION . Psychophysiology, 8(5), 656-672. Wiley.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-8986.1971.tb00501.x OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2025487781
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  25. Corinne Hutt , Christopher Ounsted (1966). The biological significance of gaze aversion with particular reference to the syndrome of infantile autism . Behavioral Science, 11(5), 346-356. Wiley.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1002/bs.3830110504 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2026200975
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  26. Mayada Elsabbagh , Agnes Volein , Gergely Csibra , Karla Holmboe , Holly Garwood , Leslie Tucker et al. (2009). Neural Correlates of Eye Gaze Processing in the Infant Broader Autism Phenotype . Biological Psychiatry, 65(1), 31-38. Elsevier BV.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2008.09.034 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2105463909
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  27. Kevin A. Pelphrey , Noah J. Sasson , J. Steven Reznick , Gregory Paul , Barbara D. Goldman , Joseph Piven (2002). Visual Scanning of Faces in Autism . Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 32(4), 249-261. Springer Science and Business Media LLC.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1023/a:1016374617369 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2097833812
    Crossref OpenAlex
  28. Paul J. Whalen , Jerome Kagan , Robert G. Cook , F. Caroline Davis , Hackjin Kim , Sara Polis et al. (2004). Human Amygdala Responsivity to Masked Fearful Eye Whites . Science, 306(5704), 2061-2061. American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1126/science.1103617 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2157758625
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  29. ROBERT M. JOSEPH , KELLY EHRMAN , REBECCA MCNALLY , BRANDON KEEHN (2008). Affective response to eye contact and face recognition ability in children with ASD . Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, 14(6), 947-955. Cambridge University Press (CUP).
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1017/s1355617708081344 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2171140497
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  30. Catherine Lord (2002). Autism diagnostic observation schedule: ADOS: Manual . Autism diagnostic observation schedule: ADOS: Manual.
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  31. Simon Wallace , Michael Coleman , Anthony Bailey (2008). An investigation of basic facial expression recognition in autism spectrum disorders . Cognition & Emotion, 22(7), 1353-1380. Informa UK Limited.
    Type: Article DOI: 10.1080/02699930701782153 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2162720330
    Crossref OpenAlex OpenCitations
  32. Rutter M. (2003). ADI‐R: The Autism Diagnostic Interview–Revised . ADI‐R: The Autism Diagnostic Interview–Revised.
    Type: Other
    Crossref
  33. Michael E. Dawson , Anne M. Schell , Diane L. Filion , Gary G. Berntson (2009). The Electrodermal System . In Handbook of Psychophysiology (pp. 157-181). Cambridge University Press.
    Type: Book chapter DOI: 10.1017/cbo9780511546396.007 OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2293081071
    OpenAlex
  34. Richard J. Davidson (1995). Cerebral asymmetry, emotion, and affective style.
    Type: Article OpenAlex: https://openalex.org/W2416039524
    OpenAlex