Course of Face-to-face Interactions in Adults With Autism

Not Applicable

Recruiting

• Conditions: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD); Neurotypical

• Registration Number: NCT06925308
• Lead Sponsor: UMC Utrecht

Brief Summary

This research explores how adults with autism make eye contact during formal and informal interactions; to what extent the nature of a conversation influences how eye contact is made in terms of length, frequency and overall presentation. Also what physiological responses to eye contact are, in order to determine to what extent eye contact leads to an increased, decreased or unchanged stress level. In addition, to gain insight into the similarities and differences in how people with ASD respond to eye contact of others compared to their own eye contact.

Detailed Description

This research explores how adults with autism make eye contact during formal and informal interactions; to what extent the nature of a conversation influences how eye contact is made in terms of length, frequency and overall presentation. Also what physiological responses to eye contact are, in order to determine to what extent eye contact leads to an increased, decreased or unchanged stress level. In addition, to gain insight into the similarities and differences in how people with ASD respond to eye contact of others compared to their own eye contact.

The research design chosen is an exploratory mixed methods study, which was developed in co-design with an expert by experience. The design consists of two parts. In the first part, the researcher will have a conversation (with a formal and informal phase, in which the subject will be given the idea that only the formal part is part of the research) with an adult with ASD, during which hidden recordings of the subject's eye behavior will be made, and in addition, skin conductance and duration/frequency of the subject's eye contact will be recorded, without the subject knowing that this is intended for research into eye contact. In the second part, the researcher and subject watch the hidden recording of the subject's eye behavior, during which the subject's skin conductance will be recorded and special features of the subject, as seen by the researcher. Both the arrangement of the subjects and researcher, as well as the physiological measurements, will be tested in advance.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2025-02-03
• Study First Submitted: 2025-03-28
• Status Verified: 2025-04
• Study First Submitted QC: 2025-04-10
• Last Update Submitted: 2025-04-10
• Study First Posted: 2025-04-13
• Last Update Posted: 2025-04-13
• Primary Completion: 2025-09-30
• Study Completion: 2026-04-30

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: RECRUITING
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 54

Inclusion Criteria

Not provided

Exclusion Criteria

Not provided

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: SINGLE_GROUP

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Frequency of eye contact in adults with autism, measured with video, audio and push button.	Baseline	The research consists of two parts. During the first part, the conversation, the frequency of eye contact will be investigated. This will be measured by video recordings of the eye region combined with the pressing of a push button by the researcher at moments when eye contact is present.; Data will be analyzed using software programs Observer XT and Matlab for the integration of push button, video recordings and audio recordings.
Duration of eye contact in adults with autism, measured with video, audio and push button.	Baseline	The research consists of two parts. During the first part, the conversation, the duration of eye contact will be investigated. This will be measured by video recordings of the eye region combined with the pressing of a push button by the researcher at moments when eye contact is present. Data will be analyzed using software programs Observer XT and Matlab for the integration of push button, video recordings and audio recordings.
Arousal during eye contact in adults with autism, measured with skin conductance	Baseline	The research consists of two parts. During the first part, the arousal during eye contact will be investigated. This will be measured by a skin conductance meter and analysed with the software program VSRRP.
Arousal during reflection on ones own eye contact in adults with autism, measured with skin conductance	Baseline	During the second part, the reflection on video recordings of ones own eye contact in aduls with autism, the degree of arousal to seeing their own eye contact will be investigated. For this, skin conductance meter will be used and analysed with the software program VSRRP.
Reflection on ones own eye contact in adults with autism, measured with video and audio	Baseline	During the second part, reflection first part, it will be investigated how subjects respond with words. For this, audio and video recordings will be used. Data analysis will be conducted with use of thematic analysis and software programs Atlas.ti, Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Word.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Dimence Groep; 🇳🇱 Deventer, Overijssel, Netherlands