Task-dependent effects of social attention on saccadic reaction times |
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Authors: | Michael?J?Koval Benson?S?Thomas Email author" target="_blank">Stefan?Everling |
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Institution: | (1) Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6G 2V4, Canada;(2) Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 5C1, Canada;(3) Robarts Research Institute, London, ON, N6A 5K8, Canada;(4) Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 5C2, Canada |
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Abstract: | Previous research has shown that saccadic reaction times (SRTs) are shorter when a stimulus is flashed on the same side as
the observed gaze direction of another individual. The gaze imitation hypothesis contends that observed gaze evokes the preparation
of a saccade toward the same direction. Previous studies of this phenomenon have employed pro-saccade tasks in which the instructed
saccade is directed toward the stimulus. In agreement with previous findings, we found that SRTs on pro-saccade trials were
shorter when the stimulus appeared in the same direction as observed gaze. Here we also included anti-saccade trials in which
subjects were required to look-away from a stimulus and toward its mirror position in the opposite visual field. The gaze
imitation hypothesis predicts that subjects will have shorter SRTs on anti-saccade trials in which the stimulus appears opposite
the observed gaze direction because they will have prepared already a saccade in that direction. However, contrary to the
prediction of the gaze imitation hypothesis, we found that subjects had shorter SRTs on anti-saccade trials when the stimulus
appeared in the same direction as observed gaze. Moreover, subjects also made more pro-saccade errors on anti-saccade trials
in which the stimulus was presented opposite the observed gaze direction. The results of our study indicate that subjects
prepared a saccade in the same direction as observed gaze on pro-saccade trials but opposite the observed gaze direction on
anti-saccade trials. These findings suggest that the effect of social gaze cues on SRTs is task dependent. |
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Keywords: | Saccade Eye movement Oculomotor Gaze imitation Anti-saccade |
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