title: Multiple Object Tracking Reveals Object-Based Grouping Interference in Children with ASD.
abstract: The multiple object tracking (MOT) paradigm has proven its value in targeting a number of aspects of visual cognition. This study used MOT to investigate the effect of object-based grouping, both in children with and without autism spectrum disorder (ASD). A modified MOT task was administered to both groups, who had to track and distinguish four targets that moved randomly amongst four distracters, irrespective of the grouping condition. No group difference was revealed between children with and without ASD: both showed adequate MOT abilities and a similar amount of grouping interference. Implications of the current result are considered for previous MOT studies, the developmental trajectory of perceptual grouping, and the idea of heightened sensitivity to task characteristics in ASD.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Experimental Psychology, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium. ruth.vanderhallen@ppw.kuleuven.be.|Department of Child Psychiatry, UPC-KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. ruth.vanderhallen@ppw.kuleuven.be.|Leuven Autism Research (LAuRes), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. ruth.vanderhallen@ppw.kuleuven.be.
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Van der Hallen
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Experimental Psychology, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.|Department of Child Psychiatry, UPC-KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.|Leuven Autism Research (LAuRes), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Kris
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Evers
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Experimental Psychology, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Lee
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: de-Wit
authors.affiliation: Department of Child Psychiatry, UPC-KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.|Leuven Autism Research (LAuRes), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Steyaert
authors.affiliation: Leuven Autism Research (LAuRes), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.|Parenting and Special Education Research Unit, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.|Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Ilse
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Noens
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Experimental Psychology, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.|Leuven Autism Research (LAuRes), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wagemans
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001288:Attention; D000067877:Autism Spectrum Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D003071:Cognition; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D014796:Visual Perception
keywords: Attention; Autism spectrum disorder (ASD); Grouping; Interference; Multiple object tracking (MOT); Vision research