Much research to date has been devoted to understanding the neurocognitive abnormalities characteristic of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Abnormalities in visual attention are particularly notable in ASD and have the potential to inform an understanding of the aberrant neural networks underlying this disorder. The current study utilized a model integrating components of both a two-stage model of perceptual binding and Posner's model of attention in order to provide a coherent account of previous findings of both enhanced and impaired visual attention abilities in ASD. To investigate a potential deficit in attention shifting underlying a variety of observed attentional abnormalities in ASD, the present study employed experimental paradigms requiring attentional shifting at two levels of visual information processing. Aims of the current study were (1) to investigate a general deficit in shifting attention at the level of both preattention and focused attention in ASD as compared to age- and gender-matched NT controls, as measured by both a visual search task with a dimensional shift component and a Navon-type letter task requiring participants to shift attention between global and local levels of a visual stimulus; and (2) to investigate the degree to which deficits in attention shifting as measured by these tasks in ASD as compared to age- and gender-matched NT are related to social functioning. Results were not consistent with a general deficit in attention shifting, but rather showed a qualitatively similar shifting response in ASD and neurotypicals. Preliminary support was found for a relationship between measures of social functioning and attention shifting at the level of both preattention and focused attention. Hypothesized relationships with underlying neural networks and directions for future research are discussed.
","abstract_html":"<p>Much research to date has been devoted to understanding the neurocognitive abnormalities characteristic of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Abnormalities in visual attention are particularly notable in ASD and have the potential to inform an understanding of the aberrant neural networks underlying this disorder. The current study utilized a model integrating components of both a two-stage model of perceptual binding and Posner's model of attention in order to provide a coherent account of previous findings of both enhanced and impaired visual attention abilities in ASD. To investigate a potential deficit in attention shifting underlying a variety of observed attentional abnormalities in ASD, the present study employed experimental paradigms requiring attentional shifting at two levels of visual information processing. Aims of the current study were (1) to investigate a general deficit in shifting attention at the level of both preattention and focused attention in ASD as compared to age- and gender-matched NT controls, as measured by both a visual search task with a dimensional shift component and a Navon-type letter task requiring participants to shift attention between global and local levels of a visual stimulus; and (2) to investigate the degree to which deficits in attention shifting as measured by these tasks in ASD as compared to age- and gender-matched NT are related to social functioning. Results were not consistent with a general deficit in attention shifting, but rather showed a qualitatively similar shifting response in ASD and neurotypicals. Preliminary support was found for a relationship between measures of social functioning and attention shifting at the level of both preattention and focused attention. Hypothesized relationships with underlying neural networks and directions for future research are discussed.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Richard, Annette E."],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)","degree_level":"Open Access Dissertation","degree_discipline":"Psychology","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Renee Lajiness-O’Neill, PhD, Chair","Jin Bo, PhD","Alissa Huth-Bocks, PhD"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2014,"date_issued":"2014-07-29T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2014-07-29T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:16:57Z","subjects":["autism spectrum disorders","attention","autism","Psychology"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://commons.emich.edu/theses/596","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Renee Lajiness-O’Neill, PhD, Chair","Jin Bo, PhD","Alissa Huth-Bocks, PhD"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Richard, Annette E."]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2014-11-04T08:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Psychology"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Open Access Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["autism spectrum disorders","attention","autism","Psychology"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://commons.emich.edu/theses/596"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Much research to date has been devoted to understanding the neurocognitive abnormalities characteristic of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Abnormalities in visual attention are particularly notable in ASD and have the potential to inform an understanding of the aberrant neural networks underlying this disorder. The current study utilized a model integrating components of both a two-stage model of perceptual binding and Posner's model of attention in order to provide a coherent account of previous findings of both enhanced and impaired visual attention abilities in ASD. To investigate a potential deficit in attention shifting underlying a variety of observed attentional abnormalities in ASD, the present study employed experimental paradigms requiring attentional shifting at two levels of visual information processing. Aims of the current study were (1) to investigate a general deficit in shifting attention at the level of both preattention and focused attention in ASD as compared to age- and gender-matched NT controls, as measured by both a visual search task with a dimensional shift component and a Navon-type letter task requiring participants to shift attention between global and local levels of a visual stimulus; and (2) to investigate the degree to which deficits in attention shifting as measured by these tasks in ASD as compared to age- and gender-matched NT are related to social functioning. Results were not consistent with a general deficit in attention shifting, but rather showed a qualitatively similar shifting response in ASD and neurotypicals. Preliminary support was found for a relationship between measures of social functioning and attention shifting at the level of both preattention and focused attention. Hypothesized relationships with underlying neural networks and directions for future research are discussed.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Visual attention shifting in autism spectrum disorder"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Renee Lajiness-O’Neill, PhD, Chair","Jin Bo, PhD","Alissa Huth-Bocks, PhD"],"dc:creator":["Richard, Annette E."],"dc:date.available":["2014-11-04T08:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["Much research to date has been devoted to understanding the neurocognitive abnormalities characteristic of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Abnormalities in visual attention are particularly notable in ASD and have the potential to inform an understanding of the aberrant neural networks underlying this disorder. The current study utilized a model integrating components of both a two-stage model of perceptual binding and Posner's model of attention in order to provide a coherent account of previous findings of both enhanced and impaired visual attention abilities in ASD. To investigate a potential deficit in attention shifting underlying a variety of observed attentional abnormalities in ASD, the present study employed experimental paradigms requiring attentional shifting at two levels of visual information processing. Aims of the current study were (1) to investigate a general deficit in shifting attention at the level of both preattention and focused attention in ASD as compared to age- and gender-matched NT controls, as measured by both a visual search task with a dimensional shift component and a Navon-type letter task requiring participants to shift attention between global and local levels of a visual stimulus; and (2) to investigate the degree to which deficits in attention shifting as measured by these tasks in ASD as compared to age- and gender-matched NT are related to social functioning. Results were not consistent with a general deficit in attention shifting, but rather showed a qualitatively similar shifting response in ASD and neurotypicals. Preliminary support was found for a relationship between measures of social functioning and attention shifting at the level of both preattention and focused attention. Hypothesized relationships with underlying neural networks and directions for future research are discussed.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://commons.emich.edu/theses/596"],"dc:subject":["autism spectrum disorders","attention","autism","Psychology"],"dc:title":["Visual attention shifting in autism spectrum disorder"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Psychology"],"thesis:degree_level":["Open Access Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:16:57Z"}