title: Is the Theory of Mind deficit observed in visual paradigms in schizophrenia explained by an impaired attention toward gaze orientation?
abstract: Schizophrenia is associated with poor Theory of Mind (ToM), particularly in goal and belief attribution to others. It is also associated with abnormal gaze behaviors toward others: individuals with schizophrenia usually look less to others' face and gaze, which are crucial epistemic cues that contribute to correct mental states inferences. This study tests the hypothesis that impaired ToM in schizophrenia might be related to a deficit in visual attention toward gaze orientation. We adapted a previous non-verbal ToM paradigm consisting of animated cartoons allowing the assessment of goal and belief attribution. In the true and false belief conditions, an object was displaced while an agent was either looking at it or away, respectively. Eye movements were recorded to quantify visual attention to gaze orientation (proportion of time participants spent looking at the head of the agent while the target object changed locations). 29 patients with schizophrenia and 29 matched controls were tested. Compared to controls, patients looked significantly less at the agent's head and had lower performance in belief and goal attribution. Performance in belief and goal attribution significantly increased with the head looking percentage. When the head looking percentage was entered as a covariate, the group effect on belief and goal attribution performance was not significant anymore. Patients' deficit on this visual ToM paradigm is thus entirely explained by a decreased visual attention toward gaze.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Sciences Cognitives et Psycholinguistique, UMR 8554, CNRS-ENS-EHESS, Institut d'étude de la cognition, Ecole Normale Supérieure, 29 Rue d'Ulm, 75005 Paris, France; Service Universitaire de Psychiatrie d'adultes, Centre Hospitalier de Versailles, 177 rue de Versailles, 78157 Le Chesnay, France; Laboratoire ECIPSY EA4047, Université Versailles Saint Quentin en Yvelines, 50 Rue Berthier, 78000 Versailles, France. Electronic address: paul.roux@ens.fr.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Roux
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Sciences Cognitives et Psycholinguistique, UMR 8554, CNRS-ENS-EHESS, Institut d'étude de la cognition, Ecole Normale Supérieure, 29 Rue d'Ulm, 75005 Paris, France; Service de psychopathologie de l'enfant et de l'adolescent, Hôpital Robert-Debré, 48 boulevard Serrurier, 75019 Paris, France. Electronic address: b.forgeot@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Baudoin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Forgeot d'Arc
authors.affiliation: Service Universitaire de Psychiatrie d'adultes, Centre Hospitalier de Versailles, 177 rue de Versailles, 78157 Le Chesnay, France; Laboratoire ECIPSY EA4047, Université Versailles Saint Quentin en Yvelines, 50 Rue Berthier, 78000 Versailles, France. Electronic address: cpasserieux@ch-versailles.fr.
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Passerieux
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Sciences Cognitives et Psycholinguistique, UMR 8554, CNRS-ENS-EHESS, Institut d'étude de la cognition, Ecole Normale Supérieure, 29 Rue d'Ulm, 75005 Paris, France. Electronic address: franck.ramus@ens.fr.
authors.forename: Franck
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ramus
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention; D053483:Eye Movement Measurements; D005133:Eye Movements; D005260:Female; D006040:Goals; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009039:Motion Perception; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012559:Schizophrenia; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012938:Social Perception; D056345:Theory of Mind
keywords: Attention; Eye movements; Gaze orientation; Schizophrenia; Social cognition; Theory of mind