Poster #189 - Examining the Relationship Between Theory of Mind and Executive Functions in Adolescents

• In Event: 3-206 - Poster Session 13
  In Poster Session: PS 13 Section - Social Cognition

Integrative Statement

Background: Theory of mind (ToM), the ability to reason about the perspective, emotions, and desires of others, is important for successful social functioning (Wellman, Cross, & Watson, 2001). A relation between ToM and executive function (EF) skills, cognitive skills for goal-directed behavior, has been found in young children (Devine & Hughes, 2014), However, both sets of skills continue to mature into early adulthood (Blakemore & Choudhury, 2006; Diamond, 2013; Hayward, Homer, & Sprung, 2016). The current study examined the association between ToM and the EF skills of inhibitory control and task-switching (Miyake et al., 2000).

Method and Results: Adolescents from NYC (N = 198; Mage = 13.10 years, SD = 1.66, range 10-17, 55.6% female) completed a computerized Flexibility and Automaticity of Social Cognition task (FASC; Hayward et al., 2016). Participants were prompted to explain eight cartoons depicting social situations that varied in ambiguity and use of language (see Figure 1). Flexibility was determined by numbers of unique responses, typical first responses, and total terms referring to mental states provided for each cartoon. Automaticity was determined by time taken to begin entering the first response to a cartoon (i.e., lag-time). Task-switching and inhibitory control were measured using computerized versions of the DCCS and Flanker tasks respectively (NIH Toolbox; Zelazo et al., 2013).

For each FASC variable, a summed score across all eight cartoons was calculated for each participant (see Table 1). Lag-time was not collected for at least one response for 55 participants due to computer error (6.1% of all responses collected), and so total lag-time for those participants was not included. Flanker score was not collected for 9 participants. All correlations were corrected for multiple comparisons using the Holm correction (Holm, 1979). Age correlated negatively with total lag-time. FASC variables did not differ by gender after correcting for multiple comparisons. Partial correlations controlling for age showed that Flanker scores correlated positively with total typical first responses (r(186) = .26, Holm-adjusted p < .001), total unique responses (r(186) = .28, Holm-adjusted p < .001), and total mental state terms used (r(186) = .29, Holm-adjusted p < .001). DCCS scores correlated positively with total typical first responses (r(195) = .30, Holm-adjusted p < .001), total unique responses (r(195) = .20, Holm-adjusted p = 0.03), and total mental state terms used (r(195) = .21, Holm-adjusted p = .02).

Discussion: Results from the current study suggest that a relationship continues to exist between ToM and EF skills during adolescence. Inhibitory control (Flanker) and task-switching (DCCS) were found to be related to both flexibility and automaticity components of ToM. Our finding that inhibitory control and flexibility of ToM are correlated, even after controlling for age, is in keeping with research suggesting that inhibitory control plays an important role in children’s ability to complete ToM tasks, particularly those with high executive demands (Feigenbaum, 2017; Sodian & Hülsken, 2005). Additional research is needed to determine the exact nature of EF and ToM skills in adolescents, and how these skills relate to other skills, such as emotional regulation.

Authors

• Jessica Elena Brodsky, The Graduate Center, City University of New York
  Presenting Author

• Bruce D. Homer, The Graduate Center, City University of New York
  Non-Presenting Author