Dynamic Gaze Processing: Robust N170 for Direct Gaze and Task-Dependent N2pc Effects

Article Article scientifique Article Dynamic Gaze Processing: Robust N170 for Direct Gaze and Task-Dependent N2pc Effects eng 2026-05-22 author Burra Nicolas 0000-0002-7693-768X Faculté de Psychologie et des Sciences de l'Éducation, Université de Genève. 596277 Section de psychologie (PSICO) author Lauret Océane Faculté de Psychologie et des Sciences de l'Éducation, Université de Genève. 434175 Section de psychologie (PSICO) nsag038 10.1093/scan/nsag038 42172628 1749-5016 https://academic.oup.com/scan/advance-article/doi/10.1093/scan/nsag038/8690981 Eye gaze is a central cue for human social interaction, yet it remains debated whether its effects on perception and attention are automatic or shaped by context. Using EEG across three experiments, we examined how dynamic gaze influences early perceptual encoding (N170) and later attentional selection (N2pc). Participants viewed pairs of faces whose eyes shifted either toward them (gaze toward the observer) or further away (gaze away) while the other closed the eyes. The relevance of eye contact varied across tasks. Across Experiments 1 and 2, gaze toward consistently elicited larger N170 amplitudes than gaze away, independent of context, indicating robust early encoding of eye contact. In contrast, N2pc amplitudes were flexibly modulated: strongest when gaze was task-relevant, reduced when participants judged spatial direction. Cross-experiment analyses confirmed a gaze graded decrease in N2pc effects, while N170 remained stable. Finally, in Experiment 3, N170 and N2pc effects were absent when gaze was irrelevant. These results reveal a two-stage process in dynamic gaze perception: an early, context-independent perceptual encoding and a later, task-dependent attentional selection. The findings refine the Fast-Track Modulator Model by demonstrating that gaze processing is perceptually robust but attentionally flexible, indicating that gaze effects are conditional rather than automatic. Gaze Gaze contact Dynamic N2pc N170 Dewey 150 Swiss National Science Foundation The role of top-down mechanisms in gaze perception 204387 CH 108 Section de psychologie 71 false 1421 Laboratoire de cognition sociale expérimentale (ESCLab) Social cognitive and affective neuroscience 3a803bea-20ef-4b5b-8a54-9eee179174f4 Article (Submitted version) Public Draft_Final_Burra_2025_R2.pdf 269265 application/pdf a1e1f31b7997a3c8bc7c06d9cf5a224d571ff28663eeed9677b2737bea11a551 openAccess Faculté de psychologie et des sciences de l'éducation / Section de psychologie

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Dynamic Gaze Processing: Robust N170 for Direct Gaze and Task-Dependent N2pc Effects	Social cognitive and affective neuroscience			2026	8	1

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