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Meta-Analysis
. 2024 Dec;17(12):2628-2644.
doi: 10.1002/aur.3261. Epub 2024 Nov 6.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of atypical visual attention towards non-social stimuli in preschoolers with autism spectrum disorder

Julian R Hinz  1   2 , Fillip F Eikeseth  3 , Katarzyna Chawarska  2 , Svein Eikeseth  1
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

A systematic review and meta-analysis of atypical visual attention towards non-social stimuli in preschoolers with autism spectrum disorder

Julian R Hinz et al. Autism Res. 2024 Dec.

Abstract

Research on attention towards non-social stimuli in preschoolers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has increased over the past decade; however, findings have been inconsistent. It has been suggested that stimuli relating to common circumscribed interests (CIs) elicit more attention than non-CI related stimuli. This meta-analysis synthesizes results from 31 studies that compared attention towards non-social stimuli in children with ASD under the age of five with typically developing (TD) controls using eye-tracking. Additional subgroup analysis comparing studies that employed non-social stimuli related to CIs frequently reported in adults with ASD to studies using non-CI related stimuli were conducted. Meta-regressions with age, sex, stimulus dimension, nonverbal DQ, and symptom severity were conducted. Results show small (g = 0.39) but significantly higher attention towards non-social stimuli for the ASD group. However, when studies were split based on stimulus type no significant differences for non-CI related stimuli was found. Meanwhile studies employing CI related stimuli reported significant large effects on attention allocation (g = 0.69). None of the conducted regressions reached significance. The findings show increased non-social attention in children with ASD is driven by CI related content rather than a general non-social attentional bias. The findings and future research directions are discussed.

Keywords: ASD; attention; autism; circumscribed interest; eye‐tracking; meta‐analysis; non‐social attention; non‐social stimuli.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
PRISMA flow diagram of the literature review.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Frequency distribution of sample sizes.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Frequency distribution of sample sizes without outliers.
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 4
Frequency distribution of ADOS z‐scores.
FIGURE 5
FIGURE 5
Frequency distribution of verbal DQ z‐scores.
FIGURE 6
FIGURE 6
Frequency distribution of non‐verbal DQ z‐scores.
FIGURE 7
FIGURE 7
Funnel plot for overall non‐social attention.
FIGURE 8
FIGURE 8
Forrest plot of overall Meta‐analysis.
FIGURE 9
FIGURE 9
Funnel plot non‐CI stimuli studies.
FIGURE 10
FIGURE 10
Forrest plot non‐CI studies.
FIGURE 11
FIGURE 11
Funnel plot CI studies.
FIGURE 12
FIGURE 12
Forrest plot of CI studies.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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