Hostname: page-component-745bb68f8f-b6zl4 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-01-09T14:49:03.525Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Linking social motivation with social skill: The role of emotion dysregulation in autism spectrum disorder

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 April 2019

Emily Neuhaus ,
Sara J. Webb  and
Raphael A. Bernier
Emily Neuhaus*
Affiliation:
Center on Child Health, Behavior, and Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA Autism Center, Seattle Children's Hospital, Seattle, WA, USA;
Sara J. Webb
Affiliation:
Center on Child Health, Behavior, and Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
Raphael A. Bernier
Affiliation:
Autism Center, Seattle Children's Hospital, Seattle, WA, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
*
Author for Correspondence: Emily Neuhaus, Seattle Children's Hospital, PO Box 5371 M/S CAC, Seattle, WA 98145; E-mail: [email protected].
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is associated with pervasive social deficits as well as marked emotion dysregulation across the life span. Decreased social motivation accounts in part for social difficulties, but factors moderating its influence are not fully understood. In this paper, we (a) characterize social and emotional functioning among children and adolescents with ASD, (b) explore contributions of social motivation and emotion dysregulation to social skill, and (c) consider biological sex and intellectual functioning as moderators of these associations. In a sample of 2,079 children and adolescents with ASD from the Simons Simplex Collection, we document direct effects of social motivation, internalizing symptoms, aggression, attention problems, irritability, and self-injurious behavior on children's social skills. Furthermore, dysregulation in several domains moderated the association between social motivation and social skill, suggesting a blunting effect on social motivation in the context of emotional difficulties. Moreover, when considering only individuals with intellectual skills in the average range or higher, biological sex further moderated these associations. Findings add to our understanding of social–emotional processes in ASD, suggest emotion dysregulation as a target of intervention in the service of social skill improvements, and build on efforts to understand sources of individual difference that contribute to heterogeneity among individuals with ASD.

Keywords

autismemotion dysregulationexternalizinginternalizingsocial motivation
Type
Special Issue Articles
Information
Development and Psychopathology , Volume 31 , Special Issue 3: Emotion Dysregulation and Emerging Psychopathology , August 2019 , pp. 931 - 943
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2019 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Achenbach, T. M. (1991). Manual for the Child Behavior Checklist/4-18 and 1991 profile. Burlington, VT: University of Vermont, Department of Psychiatry.Google Scholar
Adrian, M., Zeman, J., & Veits, G. (2011). Methodological implications of the affect revolution: A 35-year review of emotion regulation assessment in children. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 110, 171–197.Google Scholar
Altemus, M., Sarvalya, N., & Epperson, C. N. (2014). Sex differences in anxiety and depression clinical perspectives. Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology, 35, 320–330.Google Scholar
Aman, M. G., Singh, N. N., Stewart, A. W., & Field, C. J. (1985). The Aberrant Behavior Checklist: A behavior rating scale for assessment of treatment effects. American Journal of Mental Deficiency, 89, 485–491.Google Scholar
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: Author.Google Scholar
Ankenman, K., Elgin, J., Sullivan, K., Vincent, L., & Bernier, R. (2014). Nonverbal and verbal cognitive discrepancy profiles in autism spectrum disorders: Influence of age and gender. American Journal on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 119, 84–99.Google Scholar
Antezana, L., Factor, R. S., Condy, E. E., Strege, M. V., Scarpa, A., & Richey, J. A. (2018). Gender differences in restricted and repetitive behaviors and interests in youth with autism. Autism Research. Advance online publication.Google Scholar
Arnett, A. B., Trinh, S., & Bernier, R. A. (2018). The state of research on the genetics of autism spectrum disorder: Methodological, clinical and conceptual progress. Current Opinion in Psychology, 27, 1–5.Google Scholar
Arnold, L. E., Vitiello, B., McDougle, C., Scahill, L., Shah, B., Gonzalez, N. M., … Tierney, E. (2003). Parent-defined target symptoms respond to risperidone in RUPP autism study: Customer approach to clinical trials. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 42, 1443–1450.Google Scholar
Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network. (2014). Prevalence of autism spectrum disorder among children aged 8 years—Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, 11 Sites, United States, 2010. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 63, 1–21.Google Scholar
Ballaban-Gil, K., Rapin, I., Tuchman, R., & Shinnar, S. (1996). Longitudinal examination of the behavioral, language, and social changes in a population of adolescents and young adults with autistic disorder. Pediatric Neurology, 15, 217–223.Google Scholar
Beauchaine, T. P. (2015). Future directions in emotion dysregulation and youth psychopathology. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 44, 875–896.Google Scholar
Beauchaine, T. P., Klein, D. N., Crowell, S. E., Derbidge, C., & Gatzke-Kopp, L. (2009). Multifinality in the development of personality disorders: A Biology × Sex × Environment interaction model of antisocial and borderline traits. Development and Psychopathology, 21, 735–770.Google Scholar
Beauchaine, T. P., & Zisner, A. (2017). Motivation, emotion regulation, and the latent structure of psychopathology: An integrative and convergent historical perspective. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 119, 108–118.Google Scholar
Bodfish, J. W., Symons, F. J., Parker, D. E., & Lewis, M. H. (2000). Varieties in repetitive behavior in autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 30, 237–243.Google Scholar
Brereton, A. V., Tonge, B. J., & Einfeld, S. L. (2006). Psychopathology in children and adolescents with autism compared to young people with intellectual disability. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 36, 863–870.Google Scholar
Breslau, J., Gilman, S. E., Stein, B. D., Ruder, T., Gmelin, T., & Miller, E. (2017). Sex differences in recent first-onset depression in an epidemiological sample of adolescents. Translational Psychiatry, 7, e1139.Google Scholar
Cassidy, S., Bradley, P., Robinson, J., Allison, C., McHugh, M., & Baron-Cohen, S. (2014). Suicidal ideation and suicide plans or attempts in adults with Asperger's syndrome attending a specialist diagnostic clinic: A clinical cohort study. Lancet Psychiatry, 1, 142–147.Google Scholar
Chevallier, C., Kohls, G., Troiani, V., Brodkin, E. S., & Schultz, R. T. (2012). The social motivation theory of autism. Trends in Cognitive Neuroscience, 16, 231–239.Google Scholar
Cohen, N. J. (1989). Sex differences in child psychiatric outpatients: Cognitive, personality, and behavioral characteristics. Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 20, 113–121.Google Scholar
Cole, P. M., Hall, S. E., & Hajal, N. J. (2017). Emotion dysregulation as a vulnerability to psychopathology. In Beauchaine, T. P. & Hinshaw, S. P. (Eds.), Child and adolescent psychopathology (3rd ed., pp. 346–386). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.Google Scholar
Constantino, J. N., & Gruber, C. P. (2005). Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS). Los Angeles: Western Psychological Services.Google Scholar
Dawson, G., & Bernier, R. (2007). Social brain circuitry in autism. In Coch, D., Dawson, G., & Fischer, K. (Eds.), Human behavior and the developing brain: Atypical development (2nd ed.). New York: Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Dawson, G., Webb, S. J., & McPartland, J. (2005). Understanding the nature of face processing impairment in autism: Insights from behavioral and electrophysiological studies. Developmental Neuropsychology, 27, 403–424.Google Scholar
Elliott, C. D. (2007). Differential Ability Scales: Introductory and technical handbook (2nd ed.). San Antonio, TX: Psychological Corporation.Google Scholar
Estes, A. M., Dawson, G., Sterling, L., & Munson, J. (2007). Level of intellectual functioning predicts patterns of associated symptoms in school-age children with autism spectrum disorder. American Journal on Mental Retardation, 112, 439–449.Google Scholar
Estes, A., Munson, J., Dawson, G., Koehler, E., Zhou, X. H., & Abbott, R. (2009). Parenting stress and psychological functioning among mothers of preschool children with autism and developmental delay. Autism, 13, 375–387.Google Scholar
Factor, R. S., Condy, E. E., Farley, J. P., & Scarpa, A. (2016). Brief report: Insistence on sameness, anxiety, and social motivation in children with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 46, 2548–2554.Google Scholar
Factor, R. S., Ryan, S. M., Farley, J. P., Ollendick, T. H., & Scarpa, A. (2017). Does the presence of anxiety and ADHD symptoms add to social impairment in children with autism spectrum disorder? Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 47, 1122–1134.Google Scholar
Filliter, J. H., Longard, J., Lawrence, M. A., Zwaigenbaum, L., Brian, J., Garon, N., … Bryson, S. E. (2015). Positive affect in infant siblings of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 43, 567–575.Google Scholar
Finucane, B., Challman, T. D., Martin, C. L., & Ledbetter, D. H. (2016). Shift happens: Family background influences clinical variability in genetic neurodevelopmental disorders. Genetics in Medicine, 18, 302–304.Google Scholar
Fischbach, G. D., & Lord, C. (2010). The Simons Simplex Collection: A resource for identification of autism genetic risk factors. Neuron, 68, 192–195.Google Scholar
Fombonne, E. (2003). Epidemiological surveys of autism and other pervasive developmental disorders: An update. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 33, 365–382.Google Scholar
Garaigordobil, M., Bernaras, E., Jaureguizar, J., & Machimbarrena, J. M. (2017). Childhood depression: Relation to adaptive, clinical and predictor variables. Frontiers in Psychology, 8. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00821Google Scholar
Garon, N., Bryson, S. E., Zwaigenbaum, L., Smith, I. M., Brian, J., Roberts, W., & Szatmari, P. (2009). Temperament and its relationship to autistic symptoms in a high-risk infant sib cohort. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 37, 59–78.Google Scholar
Gotham, K., Pickles, A., & Lord, C. (2009). Standardizing ADOS scores for a measure of severity in autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Autism & Developmental Disorders, 39, 693–705.Google Scholar
Gotham, K., Risi, S., Pickles, A., & Lord, C. (2007). The Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule: Revised algorithms for improved diagnostic validity. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 37, 613–627.Google Scholar
Holtmann, M., Bolte, S., & Poustka, F. (2007). Autism spectrum disorders: Sex differences in autistic behavior domains and coexisting psychopathology. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology, 49, 361–366.Google Scholar
Knutsen, J., Crossman, M., Perrin, J., Shui, A., & Kuhlthau, K. (2018). Sex differences in restricted repetitive behaviors and interests in children with autism spectrum disorder: An Autism Treatment Network study. Autism. Advance online publication.Google Scholar
Konstantareas, M. M., & Stewart, K. (2006). Affect regulation and temperament in children with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 36, 143–154.Google Scholar
Lainhart, J. E., Bigler, E. D., Bocian, M., Coon, H., Dinh, E., Dawson, G., … Volkmar, F. (2006). Head circumference and height in autism: A study by the collaborative program of excellence in autism. American Journal of Medical Genetics Part A, 140 A, 2257–2274.Google Scholar
Lord, C., Rutter, M., DiLavore, P. C., & Risi, S. (2003). Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule Manual. Los Angeles: Western Psychological Services.Google Scholar
Lord, C., Rutter, M., & Le Couteur, A. (1994). Autism Diagnostic Interview—Revised: A revised version of a diagnostic interview for caregivers of individuals with possible pervasive developmental disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 24, 659–685.Google Scholar
Mazefsky, C. A., Herrington, J., Siegel, M., Scarpa, A., Maddox, B. B., Scahill, L., & White, S. W. (2013). The role of emotion regulation in autism spectrum disorder. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 52, 679–688.Google Scholar
Mazefsky, C. A., & White, S. W. (2014). Emotion regulation: Concepts and practice in autism spectrum disorder. Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 23, 15–24.Google Scholar
Mead, H. K., Beauchaine, T. P., & Shannon, K. E. (2010). Neurobiological adaptations to violence across development. Development and Psychopathology, 22, 1–22.Google Scholar
Motoca, L. M., Williams, S., & Silverman, W. K. (2012). Social skills as a mediator between anxiety symptoms and peer interactions among children and adolescents. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 41, 329–336.Google Scholar
Mullen, E. M. (1997). Mullen Scales of Early Learning. Los Angeles: Western Psychological Services.Google Scholar
Munson, J., Dawson, G., Sterling, L., Beauchaine, T., Zhou, A., Koehler, E., … Abbott, R. (2008). Evidence for latent classes of IQ in young children with autism spectrum disorder. American Journal of Mental Retardation, 113, 439–452.Google Scholar
Muris, P., Steerneman, P., Merckelbach, H., Holdrinet, I., & Meesters, C. (1998). Comorbid anxiety symptoms in children with pervasive developmental disorders. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 12, 387–393.Google Scholar
Neuhaus, E., Beauchaine, T. P., & Bernier, R. (2010). Neurobiological correlates of social functioning in autism. Clinical Psychology Review, 30, 733–748.Google Scholar
Neuhaus, E., Beauchaine, T. P., Bernier, R. A., & Webb, S. J. (2018). Child and family characteristics moderate agreement between caregiver and clinician reports of autism symptoms. Autism Research, 11, 476–487.Google Scholar
Neuhaus, E., Bernier, R. A., & Beauchaine, T. P. (2014). Social skills, internalizing and externalizing symptoms, and respiratory sinus arrhythmia in autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 44, 730–737.Google Scholar
Neuhaus, E., Bernier, R. A., Tham, S. W., & Webb, S. J. (2018). Gastrointestinal and psychiatric symptoms among children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 9, 1–9.Google Scholar
Niditch, L. A., Varela, R. E., Kamps, J. L., & Hill, T. (2012). Exploring the association between cognitive functioning and anxiety in children with autism spectrum disorders: The role of social understanding and aggression. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 41, 127–137.Google Scholar
Patterson, G. R. (1982). Coercive family process. Eugene, OR: Castalia.Google Scholar
Pedhazur, E. J. (1997). Multiple regression in behavioral research (3rd ed.). Orlando, FL: Harcourt Brace.Google Scholar
Rieffe, C., De Bruine, M., De Rooij, M., & Stockmann, L. (2014). Approach and avoidant emotion regulation prevent depressive symptoms in children with an autism spectrum disorder. International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience, 39, 37–43.Google Scholar
Sanders, S. J., He, X., Willsey, A. J., Ercan-Sencicek, A. G., Samocha, K. E., Cicek, A. E., … State, M. W. (2015). Insights into autism spectrum disorder genomic architecture and biology from 71 risk loci. Neuron, 87(6), 1215–1233.Google Scholar
Scharfstein, L., Alfano, C., Beidel, D., & Wong, N. (2011). Children with generalized anxiety disorder do not have peer problems, just fewer friends. Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 42, 712–723.Google Scholar
Scharfstein, L. A., & Beidel, D. C. (2015). Social skills and social acceptance in children with anxiety disorders. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 44, 826–838.Google Scholar
Shen, M. D., & Piven, J. (2017). Brain and behavior development in autism from birth through infancy. Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience, 19, 325–333.Google Scholar
Simonoff, E., Pickles, A., Charman, T., Chandler, S., Loucas, T., & Baird, G. (2008). Psychiatric disorders in children with autism spectrum disorders: Prevalence, comorbidity, and associated factors in a population-derived sample. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 47, 921–929.Google Scholar
Snyder, J., Schrepferman, L., Oeser, J., Patterson, G., Stoolmiller, M., Johnson, K., & Snyder, A. (2005). Deviancy training and association with deviant peers in young children: Occurrence and contribution to early-onset conduct problems. Development and Psychopathology, 17, 397–413.Google Scholar
Sparrow, S., Cicchetti, D., & Balla, D. (2005). Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (2nd ed.). Minneapolis, MN: Pearson Assessments.Google Scholar
Sterling, L., Dawson, G., Estes, A., & Greenson, J. (2008). Characteristics associated with presence of depressive symptoms in adults with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 38, 1011–1018.Google Scholar
Sukhodolsky, D. G., Scahill, L., Gadow, K. D., Arnold, L. E., Aman, M. G., McDougle, C. J., … Vitiello, B. (2008). Parent-rated anxiety symptoms in children with pervasive developmental disorders: Frequency and association with core autism symptoms and cognitive functioning. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 36, 117–128.Google Scholar
Swain, D., Scarpa, A., White, S., & Laugeson, E. (2015). Emotion dysregulation and anxiety in adults with ASD: Does social motivation play a role? Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 45, 3971–3977.Google Scholar
Vaillancourt, T., Haltigan, J. D., Smith, I., Zwaigenbaum, L., Szatmari, P., Fombonne, E., … Bryson, S. (2017). Joint trajectories of internalizing and externalizing problems in preschool children with autism spectrum disorder. Development and Psychopathology, 29, 203–214.Google Scholar
van Steensel, F. J. A., & Heeman, E. J. (2017). Anxiety levels in children with autism spectrum disorder: A meta-analysis. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 26, 1753–1767.Google Scholar
Wechsler, D. (1999). Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence. San Antonio, TX: Psychological Corporation.Google Scholar
Wechsler, D. (2003). Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (4th ed.). London: Pearson.Google Scholar
Werling, D. M., & Geschwind, D. H. (2013). Sex differences in autism spectrum disorders. Current Opinion in Neurology, 26, 146–153.Google Scholar
White, S. W., Oswald, D., Ollendick, T., & Scahill, L. (2009). Anxiety in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder. Clinical Psychology Review, 29, 216–229.Google Scholar
Wing, L., & Gould, J. (1979). Severe impairments of social interaction and associated abnormalities in children: Epidemiology and classification. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 9, 11–29.Google Scholar