Assessing the Utility of a Virtual Environment for Enhancing Facial Affect Recognition in Adolescents with Autism

摘要: Teenagers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and age-matched controls participated in a dynamic facial affect recognition task within virtual reality (VR) environment. Participants identified the emotion of expression displayed at varied levels intensity by computer generated avatar. The system assessed performance (i.e., accuracy, confidence ratings, response latency, stimulus discrimination) as well how participants used their gaze to process information using an eye tracker. both groups were similarly accurate basic intensity. Despite similar characteristics, ASD endorsed lower responses substantial variation patterns absence perceptual discrimination deficits. These results add support hypothesis that deficits face for individuals are related fundamental differences processing. We discuss implications this finding VR environment regards potential future applications paradigms targeting not just enhanced performance, but social processing intelligent systems capable adaptation individual differences.