Table 4 Summary of Results—ASD parent versus control parent groups

Standard Gaze variables

(1) Dwell time (%)—social

71.57 (13.95)

65.5 (11.67)

2.80

0.06

2, 97

0.066

0.097

0.055

0.479

(1) Dwell time (%)—non-social

18.87 (10.05)

22.36 (8.76)

(2) Fixation count (%)—social

68.17 (13.27)

63.71 (10.24)

1.98

0.04

2, 97

0.144

0.144

0.039

0.400

(2) Fixation count (%)—non-social

21.28 (9.33)

24.38 (8.46)

Fixation patterns

(4) Perseverative fixations (%)—social*

72.83 (30.64)

62.8 (33.78)

1.50

0.03

2, 97

0.228

0.279

0.030

0.349

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

17.89 (23.93)

18.00 (22.19)

(5) Regressive fixations (%)—social

68.50 (13.69)

63.44 (10.44)

2.31

0.05

2, 97

0.104

0.143

0.046

0.436

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

21.50 (9.61)

24.80 (8.92)

(6) Fixation transition

         Social to social (%)

58.37 (16.46)

53.45 (14.13)

1.02

0.031

3, 96

0.387

1.194

0.031

0.355

         Non-social to non-social (%)

6.84 (7.77)

8.95 (7.95)

         Social to non-social (%)

17.70 (7.42)

18.75 (7.32)

         Non-social to social (%)

17.09 (7.52)

18.85 (7.28)

First fixations

FET

(7) First fixation AOI (%)—social

77.40

80.40

–

–

–

0.784

1.232

–

–

(7) First fixation AOI (%)—non-social

22.60

19.60

–

–

–

–

–

(8) First fixation duration (s)

222 (122)

259 (147)

1.73

–

1, 98

0.192

0.279

0.017

0.261

Distribution patterns

(9) Fixation rate (exploration)

3.43 (0.55)

3.43 (0.60)

0.00

–

1, 98

0.981

5.396

0.000

0.000

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

3.25 (0.64)

3.34 (0.68)

0.84

0.02

2, 97

0.434

1.194

0.017

0.261

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

4.08 (0.96)

3.86 (1.13)

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

34.49 (5.80)

36.75 (6.77)

2.96

–

1, 98

0.088

0.097

0.029

0.109

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

57.68 (8.93)

60.49 (8.82)

2.39

–

1, 98

0.126

0.144

0.024

0.394