社会性共同注意缺陷是孤独症谱系障碍个体社交障碍的主要表现之一。有人认为缺陷的认知机制是社会刺激对孤独症个体的注意唤醒不足，而也有认为是刺激唤起过度而引起主动回避。本研究重点检验这两种对立的认知机制假设。两种假设对孤独症个体在具有不同社会性信息刺激强度的共同注意指向性任务中的反应模式有不同预测。据此本项目研究一测试3-6岁孤独症儿童在指向性任务中的按键和眼动反应来验证两种假设，并检查是否不同孤独症症状程度（轻/中重症）儿童具有相同的认知机制；同时对比孤独症和常态儿童的反应异同。研究二利用研究一范式对6-12月龄高风险婴儿进行眼动追踪测试，并在两年后（2.5-3岁）对其中确诊的孤独症儿童回溯检查其婴儿期数据，将对共同注意缺失的认知机制检查提早到婴儿期；同时对比确诊和未确诊组婴儿两年间的共同注意发展轨迹异同。本项目可揭示孤独症社会共同注意缺失的认知机制并为孤独症早期识别和个别化干预提供理论依据。

Joint attention deficit is one of the main features of social communication impairments in Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). The cognitive mechanism of this dysfunction on the response pattern has two different underpinning hypotheses: Under-arousal of social stimuli in ASD or over-arousal to social stimuli causing the eye-avoidance. The focus of this project is to examine the two-contrasted hypotheses, which may have different predictions over response patterns of ASD individuals in the attention-orienting task with different intensities of social stimuli. Study 1 focuses on 3-6 year-old children with ASD, utilizing key board responses and eye tracking to examine the two contrasted hypotheses and exploring whether the severity of autism have similar cognitive mechanism; meanwhile, comparing the response patterns of ASD and TD (Typical Developing) group. Based on Study 1, Study 2 uses eye tracking to examine the 6-12 months old high-risk infants and re-examine the diagnosed infants by eye tracking after two years; meanwhile, comparing the trajectories of joint attention between the diagnosed and undiagnosed group. Results of the project helps to clarify the cognitive mechanism of social joint attention deficit among individuals with ASD, which will provide a theoretical foundation for early identification and individualized interventions in ASD.