Affective Decision Making: Relation to Social and Behavioral Outcomes for Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Background:  

Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have difficulty processing social and emotional information. Research suggests that deficits in executive functions (EF) play a role in the social and cognitive difficulties for children with ASD. To date, most of this research has focused exclusively on cognitive aspects of EF, such as motor inhibition or working memory tasks. Recent research has coined the term hot EF to describe problem solving in situations with emotional or motivational components. Research from cognitive neuroscience suggests children with autism may show a primary deficit in hot EF, as damage to the brain systems associated with integration of affective information is common. To date there is little information known about how children with autism recruit EF skills during emotion-eliciting situations.

Objectives:  

The primary goal of this study is to determine how affective decision-making skills are associated with the social competence and externalizing behaviors for children with autism.

Methods:  

Participants will include 72 children between the ages of 3:0 and 6:6 years old. Participants with a diagnosis of an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) will be matched on verbal skills, sex, and age to participants with typical development (TD). Children complete individual assessments of their verbal ability (DAS-II) and affective decision-making abilities (Children’s Gambling Task; Kerr & Zelazo, 2004). Parents and teachers complete questionnaires about children’s social competence (SSRS) and externalizing problems (BASC, 2nd edition).

Results:

To date, 48 children have enrolled in the study (38 TD and 10 with an ASD diagnosis) and data collection continues. The mean age of children in the TD group is 4.7 years compared 5.5 years in the ASD group.

Outcome variables were regressed on the predictor (group diagnostic status). After controlling for verbal ability, group diagnostic status accounts for 13.7% of the variance in parent report of social competence, F(2,45) = 9.24, p < .01, 28.6% of the variance in teacher report of social competence, F(2,45) = 12, p < .01, and 23.4% of the variance in teacher report of externalizing behaviors, F(2,43) = 7.188, p <.01. After controlling for verbal abilities, group status did not explain a significant amount of variance in parent report of externalizing behaviors. My hypothesis is that children’s advantageous decision-making ability (hot EF skills) will positively influence social competence and negatively predict externalizing behaviors and that the interaction will not be the same for TD and ASD groups. Thus, I will test a moderation model whereby children’s advantageous decision-making ability during the Children’s Gambling Task moderates the relation between child status and social competence and externalizing behaviors.

Conclusions:

Even after controlling for verbal ability, diagnostic status predicts significant variance in social competence and externalizing problems. I will test whether children who demonstrate advantageous decision making strategies experience better social adaptation and decreased problem behaviors. Children with ASD may integrate affective information differently than TD peers when facing situations with emotional significance. Understanding how hot EF skills influence cognitive abilities and behavior may inform the field about protective factors and interventions for children with ASD.