Table 3 Summary of results—ASD versus control groups

Standard Gaze variables

(1) Dwell time (%)—social

75.54 (12.41)

70.37 (16.21)

1.40

0.05

2, 53

0.255

0.592

0.050

0.452

(1) Dwell time (%)—non-social

14.54 (7.32)

19.03 (12.63)

(2) Fixation count (%)—social

71.25 (12.63)

67.46 (15.74)

0.65

0.02

2, 53

0.524

0.755

0.024

0.309

(2) Fixation count (%)—non-social

17.85 (7.98)

21.00 (13.42)

Fixation patterns

(4) Perseverative fixations (%)—social*

74.18 (30.88)

65.05 (35.51)

3.27

0.11

2, 53

0.046

0.149

0.110

0.693

(4) Perseverative fixations (%)—non-social*

7.08 (14.94)

23.40 (32.13)

(5) Regressive fixations (%)—social

71.01 (12.43)

67.22 (16.43)

0.62

0.02

2, 53

0.541

0.755

0.023

0.303

(5) Regressive fixations (%)—non-social

18.09 (8.77)

21.30 (13.54)

(6) Fixation transition

         Social to social (%)

64.86 (17.87)

59.48 (23.70)

0.98

0.053

3, 52

0.410

0.755

0.053

0.467

         Non-social to non-social (%)

4.26 (6.59)

7.44 (7.87)

         Social to non-social (%)

15.71 (9.50)

16.43 (9.10)

         Non-social to social (%)

15.18 (6.52)

16.65 (10.24)

First fixations

FET

(7) First fixation AOI (%)—social

85.70

90.50

–

–

–

0.688

1.261

–

–

(7) First fixation AOI (%)—non-social

14.30

9.50

–

–

–

–

–

(8) First fixation duration (s)

273 (160)

240 (107)

0.79

–

1, 54

0.377

0.592

0.014

0.235

Distribution patterns

(9) Fixation rate (exploration)

3.34 (.56)

3.52 (.60)

1.35

–

1, 54

0.251

0.345

0.024

0.309

(10) Fixation rate (exploration) AOI (fix/s)—social

3.10 (0.59)

3.37 (0.7)

1.51

0.06

2, 53

0.231

0.282

0.055

0.476

(10) Fixation rate (exploration) AOI (fix/s)—non-social

4.33 (1.05)

4.09 (1.47)

(11) Fixation spatial distribution/coverage—5 × 4 (larger)

35.32 (5.29)

35.97 (6.62)

0.17

–

1, 54

0.686

0.755

0.003

0.108

(11) Fixation spatial distribution/coverage—10 × 8 (smaller)

58.52 (8.84)

62.92 (13.59)

2.14

–

1, 54

0.149

0.149

0.038

0.392