Complex Interplay Between Cognitive Ability and Social Motivation in Predicting Social Skill: A Unique Role for Social Motivation in Children With Autism.
Elena Itskovich, Olena Zyga, Robin A Libove and 3 others
PMID 33280272WHAT IT FOUND
In children with autism, low social motivation predicts poor social skills independently of IQ.
This link is strongest in those without intellectual disability. For these children, targeting social motivation may be more effective than focusing solely on skill acquisition.
Key findings
01Social motivation predicted social skill in children with ASD but not in non-ASD children.
02IQ and social motivation have independent, additive effects on social skill in children with ASD.
03The relationship between low social motivation and poor social skill was most pronounced in children with ASD who had IQ scores of 80 or higher.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study used parent-report measures for social motivation and social skill, which can be subjective and may suffer from floor or ceiling effects. The measure of social motivation used was not comprehensive; it did not capture specific aspects like social orienting or liking, and traits like gaze avoidance could be due to anxiety rather than low motivation. The design was cross-sectional, so it cannot determine how these relationships change over time or establish causality. The sample was male-biased, reflecting ASD prevalence, so the study was not powered to detect differences between boys and girls. The study did not measure other potential drivers of social skill, such as language ability or emotion regulation.
Declared interests
The research was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health and other non-U.S. government sources. No commercial conflicts of interest were reported in the provided text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that low social motivation is the primary cause of social skill deficits in all children with autism. This relationship was specific to the ASD group and strongest in those without intellectual disability. In children with lower cognitive ability, IQ itself is a major predictor, and motivation may not be the sole or primary barrier to social skill development.