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June 2, 2008Knowing looks: Using gaze aversion to tell when children are learning |
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From EurekAlert! - Breaking News: A group led by Dr Gwyneth Doherty-Sneddon at the University of Stirling, and funded by Economic and Social Research Council, has looked at gaze aversion in both children and adults. They found that children aged 4-6 are more likely to avert their gaze when they are carrying out a task that they find difficult, or new to them. The results were consistent for a variety of settings and for a range of tasks, such as balancing a beam with asymmetrical loads. A child who is doing it is likely to be developing their understanding and is what Dr Doherty-Sneddon terms an "improver". Keeping an eye on gaze aversion is especially valuable for teachers and social workers who are trying to understand the mental state of people with: Autistic spectrum disorders (ASD); Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD); or Williams Syndrome, the genetic condition popularly called Cocktail Party Syndrome. "People with Williams Syndrome have been characterised as being hypersociable and using excessive amounts of eye contact, which is an interesting contrast to people with autism. A range of methods were used including measures of physiologicial arousal as well as learning and problem solving tasks. As well as bringing together all ESRC-funded research and key online resources such as the Social Science Information Gateway and the UK Data Archive, non-ESRC resources are included, for example the Office for National Statistics.
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