Andrew Nock-Kwan Sung

Topic

Introducing the Let’s Face It! Scrapbook app: Social eye processing training for improving face-to-face social interactions in autistic youth

Department of Educational Psychology and Leadership Studies

Date & location

• Tuesday, July 30, 2024
• 9:30 A.M.
• MacLaurin Building, Room A341

Examining Committee

Supervisory Committee

• Dr. James Tanaka, Department of Psychology, University of Victoria (Co-Supervisor)
• Dr. Sarah Macoun, Department of Psychology, UVic (Co-Supervisor)
• Dr. Donna McGhie- Richmond, Department of Educational Psychology and Leadership Studies, UVic (Outside Member)

External Examiner

• Dr. Jonathan Weiss, Faculty of Health, York University

Chair of Oral Examination

• Dr. Viviene Temple, School of Exercise Science, Physical and Health Education, UVic

Abstract

Interpreting facial expressions, establishing and maintaining eye contact, and following the eye gaze of others are key social eye processing abilities. Deficits are associated with social dysfunction and clinical disorders, particularly autism spectrum disorder (ASD). A critical question is whether social eye processing abilities can be trained for improving face-to-face social interactions.

The current study utilized a pre-test/post-test control group switching replications design. In active training, 12 autistic youth received 4.5 hours of Let’s Face It! Scrapbook app: Social Eye Processing Training (LFI - SEPT) over 3 weeks. Active training included participation in weekly small group learning sessions where research facilitators introduced and modeled social eye processing abilities. The research assistants then facilitated autistic youth to record their own social eye processing abilities into the Let’s Face It! Scrapbook app. Over the remainder of the week, autistic youth played from the Let’s Face It! Scrapbook app games in designated gameplay sessions. In Control Training, autistic youth completed weekly small group learning activities and engaged in social gaming using educational apps.

The results revealed that relative to Control Training, autistic youth improved significantly after completing LFI - SEPT. Autistic youth experienced significant gains in interpreting subtle changes in facial expressions. In addition, autistic youth were shown to engage establishing and maintaining more eye contact in a story reading and conversation assessment. Parents reported further enhancements in social competency for understanding faces in the home environment. Collectively, the results provide optimism that social eye processing abilities can be improved through direct training using a mobile app.