title: Deficient gaze pattern during virtual multiparty conversation in patients with schizophrenia.
abstract: Virtual reality has been used to measure abnormal social characteristics, particularly in one-to-one situations. In real life, however, conversations with multiple companions are common and more complicated than two-party conversations. In this study, we explored the features of social behaviors in patients with schizophrenia during virtual multiparty conversations. Twenty-three patients with schizophrenia and 22 healthy controls performed the virtual three-party conversation task, which included leading and aiding avatars, positive- and negative-emotion-laden situations, and listening and speaking phases. Patients showed a significant negative correlation in the listening phase between the amount of gaze on the between-avatar space and reasoning ability, and demonstrated increased gaze on the between-avatar space in the speaking phase that was uncorrelated with attentional ability. These results suggest that patients with schizophrenia have active avoidance of eye contact during three-party conversations. Virtual reality may provide a useful way to measure abnormal social characteristics during multiparty conversations in schizophrenia.
authors.affiliation: National Rehabilitation Research Institute, National Rehabilitation Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Kiwan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Brain Korea 21 PLUS Project for Medical Science, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jungeun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.affiliation: Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sang Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Dong-Pyo
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Department of Psychiatry, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: jaejkim@yonsei.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Jae-Jin
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003198:Computer Simulation; D005260:Female; D005403:Fixation, Ocular / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012919:Social Behavior; D014584:User-Computer Interface
keywords: Eye gaze; Multiparty conversation; Schizophrenia; Social behaviors; Virtual reality