Definition
The term “inhibition of return (IOR)” refers to a cognitive mechanism that biases visual attention against previously explored locations in order to favor exploration of new areas. “Social-emotional IOR” specifically refers to alterations in the IOR mechanism by social-emotional cues, in that the saliency of such information is hypothesized to capture and hold attention to a greater degree, thus diminishing the IOR effect in the neurotypical population.
Historical Background
Visual attention is one modality in which individuals navigate their world and learn from it. Social-emotional signals are prioritized in visual orienting from an early age in neurotypical children, as this information can capture and hold attention to a greater degree than other information due to its saliency (Johnson et al. 1991; Klin et al. 2002; Nakano et al. 2010; Riby et al. 2012; Rice et al. 2012; Yerys et al. 2012). Multiple processes comprise visual attention, including the orienting process,...
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Antezana, L., Yerys, B.E. (2020). Social-Emotional Inhibition of Return. In: Volkmar, F. (eds) Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6435-8_102380-1
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