Thesis (M.S.)--State University of New York at Binghamton, Dept. of Psychology, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references.

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The presence of a sex difference in mutual eye-to-eye contact in dyadic interaction is well documented from late infancy through adulthood with females making more mutual eye contact than males. Only one study (Hittelman & Dickes, 1979) found evidence for this behavior pattern in newborns, but no research has been done to follow-up these findings. Systematic examination of the development of sex differences in mutual gaze behavior can aid in unraveling the differential effects of biological and social influences on the development of gendered social behavior. / This project was a longitudinal, within participants replication and extension of Hittelman and Dickes study: Seventy neonates (32 female, 38 male) age 13--112 hours postpartum and their parents participated in the Time 1 data collection, and 23 (9 female, 14 male) infants and their parents were seen a second time at 13--18 weeks postpartum (Time 2). Mutual gaze between the infant and two interacters (1 female, 1 male) was measured, and parents completed the Parental Sex-Typing of Newborns (Paston) Rating Scale to measure their sex-typed perceptions of newborns and young infants. / Results indicated: (a) No empirical evidence for sex differences at Time 1; (b) Strong evidence for sex differences in mutual gaze behavior at Time 2 indicating development of this sex-typed pattern in early infancy; (c) The emergence of sex differences in mutual gaze behavior from Time 1 to Time 2 is entirely accounted for by a radical change in female infants' gaze behavior; and (d) Empirical evidence linking mothers' sex-typed beliefs about their infants and infants' sex-typed gaze behavior. / Results are discussed within the theoretical contexts of the social learning and biological perspectives. This study demonstrates that infants' sex-typed behavior and mothers' gender-typed perceptions begin early in life. It is concluded that sex differences in mutual gaze behavior are a complex interplay of biological or social forces acting in concert. Subsequent research in this area should focus on the specific forces involved in bringing sex differences in mutual gaze behavior to fruition.

Abstract Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are characterized by impairments in social and communicative behaviors. These impairments can impact an individual's ability to obtain employment. The rates of unemployment for individuals with ASD are much higher than those of their peers without ASD. This study used a multiple baseline design across three participants diagnosed with ASD to determine the effectiveness of video feedback in improving eye contact duration during mock job interviews. After video feedback sessions, eye contact duration increased across all participants. On average, participant's eye contact duration was at 30.2% during baseline. These percentages increased to an average of 72.8% after video feedback was implemented.

Eye contact is a fundamental means of social interaction among primates. In both humans and non-human primate societies, eye contact precedes and signals aggression or prosocial behaviors. Initiating and maintaining short periods of eye contact is essential during social interactions that build trust and promote cooperation. How the brain detects and orchestrates social exchanges mediated by eye contact remains an open question in neuroscience. Theories of social neuroscience speculate that the social brain in primates contains neurons specialized to detect and respond to eye-contact. This dissertation reports the discovery and characterization of a class of neurons, located in the amygdala of monkeys, that is activated selectively during eye contact. The discovery of these cells was facilitated by (1) characterization of the response properties of neurons in the amygdala during a canonical image-viewing task and (2) development of a reliable and quantifiable method for eliciting naturalistic eye contact between monkeys in the laboratory setting. The functional role of eye contact cells remains to be determined. The data presented in this dissertation confirm the role of the amygdala in social behaviors and allows for the formulation of new hypotheses about the cellular mechanisms within the amygdala that support complex social interactions among primates.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 1997. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 190-194). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 1997. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 190-194). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2005. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 157-174).

High school band members (N=13) and their teacher were observed during six rehearsals of two contrasting band compositions over a six-week period. The contrasting compositions were selected by means of a detailed process between me (the researcher) and the teacher (the conductor). One 60-second excerpt of each composition was selected, during the performance of which, the students were observed. Three video tapings of each composition was done in order to capture occasions when the students would look up from their music. Using a technique adapted from Ekman (1997), the band members and teacher were then interviewed in order to reveal the reasons they recalled for looking up from their music. The results showed that the band members looked up in places where the teacher expected eye contact, that the frequency of eye contact changed little from one rehearsal to the next, and that the frequency of eye contact changed little between the two contrasting compositions. In all cases, the band members were able to recall the reasons for looking up from their music, a fact which led to a detailed analysis about the students' own thoughts while they were engaged in playing as an ensemble. The results are discussed in terms of strategies for teaching practice and implications for future research.

Deficits in eye contact are a common feature of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Previous research has shown shaping without prompting to be effective in teaching eye contact to children diagnosed with ASD. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate a shaping procedure, implemented by parents trained and supervised via telehealth, to teach two preschool-aged children with ASD to make eye contact in social play. A single-case, multiple baseline experimental design was used to evaluate the effects of the teaching protocol., Interobserver agreement and treatment integrity were measured. For each child, eye contact was taught in three different settings in their natural environment, each setting corresponding to a child-preferred play activity where the parent was a necessary component. The parents were instructed to engage in thea play activity, make a pause and wait for the child's eye contact before continuing the activity. The target behaviour, eye contact, was divided into five successive learning phases. Within the framework of the study, both children acquired sustained eye contact for a duration of between 1 and 2 seconds across several settings. Furthermore, in line with prevailing research, findings from this study confirm that telehealth can be used to train and supervise parents from a distance. A high degree of social validity, as measured by the participating parents' self-reports, as well as indices of happiness in the two children, adds to the results of this study. Challenges, solutions and benefits of telehealth are highlighted. Variability in outcome between settings and children are discussed as well as limitations and directions for future research. / Bristande ögonkontakt är vanligt förekommande vid autism (ASD). Tidigare forskning har visat att shaping utan prompting är effektiv för att lära barn diagnosticerade med ASD ögonkontakt. Föreliggande studies syfte var att utvärdera en shapingprocedur, implementerad av föräldrar som utbildades och handleddes via e-hälsa, för att lära två förskolebarn med ASD-diagnos att ge ögonkontakt vid social lek. En single-case experimentell design med multipel baslinje användes för att utvärdera effekterna av undervisningsprotokollet. I, inklusive mätning av interbedömarreliabilitet och behandlingstrohet mättes. För varje barn tränades övades ögonkontakt i tre olika sammanhang i desras naturliga miljö, därvarje sammanhang motsvarande en av barnet föredragen lekaktivitet i vilken föräldern var en nödvändig beståndsdel.Föräldrarna instruerades att inleda en aktivitet, göra en paus och vänta på barnets ögonkontakt innan de fortsatte aktiviteten. Målbeteendet, ögonkontakt, delades in i fem successiva inlärningsfaser. Inom ramen för studien tillägnade sig båda barnen ögonkontakt med en duration av mellan 1 och 2 sekunder, i flera sammanhang. Vidare bekräftar studiens resultat, i linje med i likhet med aktuell forskning, att e-hälsa kan användas för att utbilda och handleda föräldrar. En hög grad av social validitet, såsom mätt genom de deltagande föräldranrnas självskattningar, liksom tecken på glädje hos de två barnen, bidrar till studiens resultat. Utmaningar, lösningar och fördelar med e-hälsa belyses. Variationen i resultat mellan sammanhang och barn diskuteras liksom studiens begränsningar och inriktning för framtida studier.