The impact and mechanism of gaze cues on object-based attention

doi:10.3724/SP.J.1041.2022.00748

Abstract

Abstract:

Eye contact plays an important role in social interaction and in capturing and maintaining attention. However, it is not clear how the eye contact interacts with objects to guide attentional allocation. Therefore, using the two-rectangle paradigm and faces or objects with different gaze directions (direct or averted gaze), the aim of our study is to explore the effects and underlying mechanisms of eye contact on object-based attention by manipulating the stimulus onset asynchronies (SOAs). In Experiment 1, it was found that the effect of eye contact on object-based effect only appeared in 300 ms SOA condition. The difference of object-based effect between direct and averted gaze came from the fact that participants reacted more quickly to the target in the invalid same condition of direct gaze than averted gaze, which suggested that direct gaze could capture rather than maintain our attention, resulting in a larger object- based effect. In Experiment 2, the contrast of the faces was reversed, but the difference of object-based effect between direct and averted gaze disappeared, thus excluding the effect of low-level physical characteristics. In Experiment 3, two eyes were overlaid with the cups as the stimuli to explore whether the gaze effect could be extended to other objects. The result was the same as Experiment 1. The results of this study showed that eye contact could interact with objects to guide attention distribution, and direct gaze could capture our attention. However, the object-based effect of eye contact was changeable in different SOA conditions. Our results supported the sensory enhancement theory.

Key words: object-based attention, eye contact, social interaction, sensory enhancement theory, top-down processing

YAN Chi, GAO Yunfei, HU Saisai, SONG Fangxing, WANG Yonghui, ZHAO Jingjing. (2022). The impact and mechanism of gaze cues on object-based attention. Acta Psychologica Sinica, 54(7), 748-760.

Figures/Tables 9

References 70

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SOA	Direct gaze			Averted gaze
SOA	Valid	Invalid same-object	Invalid different-object	Valid	Invalid same-object	Invalid different-object
100 ms	358 ± 43	353 ± 47	360 ± 43	359 ± 41	351 ± 46	361 ± 48
300 ms	321 ± 44	320 ± 45	333 ± 45	326 ± 41	327 ± 47	331 ± 46
600 ms	350 ± 47	349 ± 47	350 ± 44	350 ± 47	346 ± 43	352 ± 47

SOA	Direct gaze			Averted gaze
SOA	Valid	Invalid same-object	Invalid different-object	Valid	Invalid same-object	Invalid different-object
100 ms	358 ± 43	353 ± 47	360 ± 43	359 ± 41	351 ± 46	361 ± 48
300 ms	321 ± 44	320 ± 45	333 ± 45	326 ± 41	327 ± 47	331 ± 46
600 ms	350 ± 47	349 ± 47	350 ± 44	350 ± 47	346 ± 43	352 ± 47

SOA	Direct gaze			Averted gaze
SOA	Valid	Invalid same-object	Invalid different-object	Valid	Invalid same-object	Invalid different-object
100 ms	382 ± 47	372 ± 42	388 ± 49	375 ± 44	371 ± 47	378 ± 46
300 ms	339 ± 46	340 ± 42	354 ± 54	335 ± 41	341 ± 48	347 ± 49
600 ms	368 ± 46	368 ± 47	369 ± 47	368 ± 46	368 ± 47	375 ± 50

SOA	Direct gaze			Averted gaze
SOA	Valid	Invalid same-object	Invalid different-object	Valid	Invalid same-object	Invalid different-object
100 ms	382 ± 47	372 ± 42	388 ± 49	375 ± 44	371 ± 47	378 ± 46
300 ms	339 ± 46	340 ± 42	354 ± 54	335 ± 41	341 ± 48	347 ± 49
600 ms	368 ± 46	368 ± 47	369 ± 47	368 ± 46	368 ± 47	375 ± 50

SOA	Direct gaze			Averted gaze
SOA	Valid	Invalid same-object	Invalid different-object	Valid	Invalid same-object	Invalid different-object
100 ms	389 ± 46	388 ± 54	400 ± 51	387 ± 44	388 ± 53	395 ± 52
300 ms	348 ± 38	353 ± 51	367 ± 51	349 ± 46	363 ± 52	361 ± 55
600 ms	381 ± 41	382 ± 42	384 ± 42	378 ± 39	380 ± 39	386 ± 39