Social functioning and cognitive flexibility: Facets of flexibility predicting social anxiety symptoms
Presentation Type
Abstract
Faculty Advisor
Erin Kang
Access Type
Event
Start Date
25-4-2025 1:30 PM
End Date
25-4-2025 2:29 PM
Description
Cognitive flexibility is a core construct of executive functioning and encompasses the ability to shift between tasks and adjust one’s behavior to a changing environment (Dajani & Uddin, 2015). In social contexts, challenges in cognitive flexibility can impair an individual from successfully engaging and building interpersonal relationships with others (Davila & Beck, 2002). Social anxiety (SA) is marked by persistent overwhelming social fears when exposed to unfamiliar people or situations (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). While both SA and inflexibility can overlap and manifest communicative difficulties in one’s social functioning, the precise relationship between flexibility and SA remains unclear, particularly in neurodiverse populations. Additionally, various factors such as autistic traits, developmental stage, and race may influence this relationship. Eighty autistic and non-autistic youth (ages 6-17; 48% White) and their parents completed measures of cognitive flexibility (Flexibility Scale; Strang, et al. 2017) and SA symptoms (Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children, 2nd Edition; March, 2012). Pearson correlations indicated correlation between total flexibility and SA for parent-report (r=.241, p=.031) and marginally for self-report (r=.215, p=.067). Multiple regression indicated similar contribution of different FS subdomains in parent-report (p>0.05), but challenges with special interest, social flexibility, and generativity emerged as significant predictors in self-report (p<.037). Neither developmental stage, autistic traits, nor race moderated the relationship between parent-reported flexibility and SA. Moderation for self-report measures will be incorporated in the analysis before the symposium. Understanding these dynamics can inform targeted interventions to support social functioning in individuals with SA and cognitive rigidity.
Social functioning and cognitive flexibility: Facets of flexibility predicting social anxiety symptoms
Cognitive flexibility is a core construct of executive functioning and encompasses the ability to shift between tasks and adjust one’s behavior to a changing environment (Dajani & Uddin, 2015). In social contexts, challenges in cognitive flexibility can impair an individual from successfully engaging and building interpersonal relationships with others (Davila & Beck, 2002). Social anxiety (SA) is marked by persistent overwhelming social fears when exposed to unfamiliar people or situations (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). While both SA and inflexibility can overlap and manifest communicative difficulties in one’s social functioning, the precise relationship between flexibility and SA remains unclear, particularly in neurodiverse populations. Additionally, various factors such as autistic traits, developmental stage, and race may influence this relationship. Eighty autistic and non-autistic youth (ages 6-17; 48% White) and their parents completed measures of cognitive flexibility (Flexibility Scale; Strang, et al. 2017) and SA symptoms (Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children, 2nd Edition; March, 2012). Pearson correlations indicated correlation between total flexibility and SA for parent-report (r=.241, p=.031) and marginally for self-report (r=.215, p=.067). Multiple regression indicated similar contribution of different FS subdomains in parent-report (p>0.05), but challenges with special interest, social flexibility, and generativity emerged as significant predictors in self-report (p<.037). Neither developmental stage, autistic traits, nor race moderated the relationship between parent-reported flexibility and SA. Moderation for self-report measures will be incorporated in the analysis before the symposium. Understanding these dynamics can inform targeted interventions to support social functioning in individuals with SA and cognitive rigidity.
Comments
Poster presentation at the 2025 Student Research Symposium.