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Completed

NCT Number: NCT07597655

Emotion Intensity Modulates Intention in ASD

This study used eye-tracking to examine how emotional expression intensity (low/medium/high) influences intention understanding in children with ASD, PDD, and TD during a puzzle-search task.

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Key information

Conditions

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Autism Spectrum Disorder Child Development Disorders, Pervasive Intellectual Disability Mental Disorders Nervous System Diseases Neurobehavioral Manifestations Neurodevelopmental Disorders Neurologic Manifestations Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Signs and Symptoms

Age range

3 year–10 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Observational

Primary location

School of Foreign Languages, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China

Chengdu, Sichuan, 611731, China

About this study

This study examined how emotional expression intensity influences children's intention understanding during a puzzle-search task. Children with ASD, PDD, and typical development (TD) watched videos in which a model searched for a missing puzzle piece under three levels of emotional expression intensity: low, medium, and high. Eye-tracking measures were used to assess both the outcome and the dynamic process of intention understanding.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Typically developing children without any developmental or neurological disorders.

Confirmed clinical diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder and reconfirmed by the criteria of the Diagnostic Observation Table for ASD, Second Edition (ADOS-2).

Confirmed clinical diagnosis of Intellectual Disability and the ADOS-2 with a comparison score below the ASD diagnostic cut-off score (comparison score≤2).

Exclusion criteria

  • Normal or corrected-to-normal vision, no color vision deficiencies, and legal guardian provided written informed consent.

Treatment and study plan

Primary outcomes

  1. The visitation rate of the AOI

    Time frame: From second 3 to second 30 of the experimental stimulus.

    Number of times the gaze enters the AOI per unit time. It measures how frequently the AOI is re-visited. Higher rates indicate repeated returns, reflecting high interest or difficulty disengaging; lower rates suggest rare or brief attention.

  2. The proportions of fixation duration

    Time frame: During the full 40 seconds video presentation.

    fixation duration on an AOI ÷ total fixation duration (or across multiple AOIs). It measures the relative amount of attention allocated to a specific area. Higher proportions indicate prioritized or deeper processing of that region.

  3. The first fixation latency

    Time frame: During the full 40 seconds video presentation.

    The First Fixation Latency = time from TOI onset until the first fixation lands on a predefined object. It measures how fast attention is initially drawn to that object. Shorter latencies indicate higher salience or more efficient search.

Secondary outcomes

  1. The face fixation transition ratio

    Time frame: From second 13 to second 15 of the experimental stimulus.

    Number of gaze transitions from any non-face AOI to a face ÷ total number of gaze transitions. It measures how often attention shifts toward faces. Higher ratios indicate stronger social orienting or difficulty disengaging from faces.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Electronic Science and Technology of China

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Emotional Expression Intensity Modulates Intention Understanding in Children With ASD: Evidence From Eye Tracking and Hidden Markov Modeling

Important dates

Study start
2025
Primary completion
2026
Study completion
2026
First posted
May 19, 2026
Registry last updated
May 19, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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