Date of Award
5-2024
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
College/School
College of Humanities and Social Sciences
Department/Program
Psychology
Thesis Sponsor/Dissertation Chair/Project Chair
Erin Kang
Committee Member
Jennifer Pardo
Committee Member
Erica Nahin
Abstract
Autistic youth are at an elevated risk of developing anxiety. Overcontrol, or excessive self-control, shares similar clinical challenges (i.e. rigidity, social perfection) that are often associated with anxiety. Executive functioning (EF) is well-established as being positively associated with anxiety. Taking all this into account, it was predicted that EF may serve as a moderator to the relationship between overcontrol and anxiety. Using both parent and child responses to the Overcontrol in Youth Checklist, Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children and Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-2, this current study explored how overcontrol and anxiety are related. Further, it tested the role of EF as a moderator. In an exploratory fashion, the role of EF as a mediator was also tested. This study found that overcontrol and anxiety are positively associated, according to both informants. There was no evidence for the role of EF as a moderator to this relationship. However, the exploratory mediation analysis suggests that EF may serve as a partial mediator to the relationship of overcontrol and anxiety as reported by both parent and child. Future research should aim to address the current study’s limitations and explore the role of EF as a mediator further.
File Format
Recommended Citation
Przygoda, Sydney, "The Role of Executive Functioning on Anxiety and Overcontrol on Neurodiverse Youth" (2024). Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects. 1432.
https://digitalcommons.montclair.edu/etd/1432