Effect of race on Gaze Cueing in adults with high and low autistic traits

Abstract

In an online study we investigated in White Italian adults whether individuals with high autistic traits (measured by the Autism spectrum Quotient) show reduced implicit racial bias (measured by the Implicit Association Test) and if this bias would lead to differences in the gaze cueing effect (GCE) triggered by gaze direction of faces of different races. Results showed that participants with high and low-medium autistic traits had the same ingroup bias. Interestingly, females with high autistic traits showed a significant GCE only for White faces. However, with Black cueing faces when the AQ score increased the GCE decreased or was absent. In females, higher level of autistic traits is associated with a reduced ability to orient attention toward the outgroup.