Investigating the influence of affinity on the gaze behavior of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) based on their unique autistic traits

Autism spectrum is very wide, but autistic people share some traits such as social or language impairments. Another common characteristic is a strong passion, called an affinity, which can be anything from a movie character to a topic like history, or even a specific object. Numerous testimonies attest to the support provided by affinities for autistic individuals, offering a reassuring space in a sometimes frightening world. Clinical psychologists consider affinities as keys that can unlock language and learning for people with ASD. However, objective evidence of this role is still lacking. In this study, we used eye-tracking technology to explore the visual attention patterns of autistic individuals when presented with their affinity compared to neutral stimuli. We recruited 52 autistic participants and showed them 38 images: 10 featuring their affinity and 28 neutral ones, while recording their eye movements. Eye-tracking data provided crucial insights into how visual attention is modulated by affinities. Our results reveal significant variability in visual engagement depending on the specific autistic traits and affinities of the participants. Some showed heightened visual engagement with affinity images, while others withdrew their gaze. Some exhibited a mixed response, with both increased engagement and gaze withdrawal, and a few showed no difference between the two sets of images. These findings highlight the complex relationship between visual attention and affinities in autistic individuals, highlighting the potential of eye-tracking as a tool for understanding and leveraging these affinities in therapeutic and educational settings.