Exploring cognitive flexibility as a key moderator in anxiety and repetitive behavior dynamics
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
Autistic individuals commonly experience anxiety (Williams et al., 2021). Repetitive behaviors (RBs), including repeated motor mannerisms, focused interests, or an insistence on sameness, are a core feature of autism, and are often exacerbated by anxiety (Williams et al., 2021). Cognitive flexibility (CF) is defined as an individual's ability to adjust to different situations and respond accordingly (Dajani & Uddin, 2015). Autistic individuals often experience difficulties with task-switching, an aspect of CF, which may contribute to other challenges like increased anxiety (Lacroix et al., 2024). It is thus important to explore the role of CF in the relationship between anxiety and RBs, which can help us understand how to better clinically serve autistic adolescents experiencing anxiety. In a sample of 102 youth between the ages of 6-17 (58% autistic), parent-reported anxiety and parent-reported RBs were correlated (r = .581, p < .001), as were anxiety and parent-reported CF (r = .543, p < .001). RBs and CF were also positively correlated (r = .738, p < .001). Moderation analysis indicated a significant main effect between CF and RBs (b = 0.02, p < .001), as well as a significant interaction effect between anxiety and CF in predicting RBs (b = 0.28, p = .0011). Probing indicated that CF moderated the relationship between anxiety and RBs only for those with medium (b = 0.22, p = .024) to high (b = 0.44, p = < .001) levels of CF. This data may be useful in planning treatment for autistic adolescents experiencing anxiety.
Exploring cognitive flexibility as a key moderator in anxiety and repetitive behavior dynamics
Autistic individuals commonly experience anxiety (Williams et al., 2021). Repetitive behaviors (RBs), including repeated motor mannerisms, focused interests, or an insistence on sameness, are a core feature of autism, and are often exacerbated by anxiety (Williams et al., 2021). Cognitive flexibility (CF) is defined as an individual's ability to adjust to different situations and respond accordingly (Dajani & Uddin, 2015). Autistic individuals often experience difficulties with task-switching, an aspect of CF, which may contribute to other challenges like increased anxiety (Lacroix et al., 2024). It is thus important to explore the role of CF in the relationship between anxiety and RBs, which can help us understand how to better clinically serve autistic adolescents experiencing anxiety. In a sample of 102 youth between the ages of 6-17 (58% autistic), parent-reported anxiety and parent-reported RBs were correlated (r = .581, p < .001), as were anxiety and parent-reported CF (r = .543, p < .001). RBs and CF were also positively correlated (r = .738, p < .001). Moderation analysis indicated a significant main effect between CF and RBs (b = 0.02, p < .001), as well as a significant interaction effect between anxiety and CF in predicting RBs (b = 0.28, p = .0011). Probing indicated that CF moderated the relationship between anxiety and RBs only for those with medium (b = 0.22, p = .024) to high (b = 0.44, p = < .001) levels of CF. This data may be useful in planning treatment for autistic adolescents experiencing anxiety.
Comments
Poster presentation at the 2025 Student Research Symposium.