Understanding how people look at emotional cues in social situations
Official title: Investigating Visual Attention Mechanisms During Emotional Inferences
Funded at University of California Berkeley · NIH-11074881 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study looks at how people with autism or ADHD focus their eyes on important social cues in lively situations, using special eye-tracking tools to learn more about how they make social decisions, with the hope of finding better ways to support them.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California Berkeley NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Berkeley, United States) |
| Project start | September 15, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $46,965 |
| NIH project number | 1F99NS141343-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11074881 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research include individuals aged 21 and older who have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without any cognitive or attention-related disorders may not receive direct benefits from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates how individuals, particularly those with conditions like autism or ADHD, direct their gaze towards emotionally relevant information in dynamic social environments. By using advanced eye-tracking technology and naturalistic stimuli, the study aims to uncover the mechanisms behind eye movements during social decision-making. The goal is to better understand how abnormal gaze patterns affect social cognition and emotional inference, which could lead to improved interventions for affected individuals.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could enhance our understanding of social cognition in individuals with abnormal gaze patterns, potentially leading to better therapeutic strategies.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown promise in understanding gaze patterns in social contexts, but this approach using dynamic stimuli is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
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University of California Berkeley
Berkeley, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ortega, Jefferson — University of California Berkeley
- Study coordinator: Ortega, Jefferson
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.