Examining an integrated path model of psychological and sociocultural predictors of camouflaging in autistic adults.
Sici Zhuang, Mackenzie Bougoure, Dawn-Joy Leong and 6 others
PMID 39066620WHAT IT FOUND
Fear of negative evaluation and past victimisation strongly predicted camouflaging.
Unexpectedly, higher self-esteem and a stronger autistic identity also linked to more camouflaging, suggesting some adults mask strategically to access opportunities rather than solely out of shame.
Key findings
01Greater vulnerability to negative life events and lower independent self-construal were directly associated with increased camouflaging.
02Fear of negative evaluation mediated the relationship between sociocultural factors (stigma, cultural tightness) and camouflaging.
03Contrary to hypotheses, higher self-esteem and a stronger autistic identity were associated with greater camouflaging, suggesting a voluntary, goal-directed motivation.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study was cross-sectional, so it cannot prove that these factors cause camouflaging; relationships may be bidirectional. The sample was self-selected and online, skewing towards female, White, university-educated adults without intellectual disabilities, limiting generalisability. The model was exploratory and trimmed post-hoc, meaning findings are tentative and require replication. Several measures used were not originally validated specifically for autistic populations.
Declared interests
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest. Funding was provided by university scholarships and grants.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume camouflaging is always a sign of low self-esteem or shame. This study found that higher self-esteem and stronger autistic identity were associated with more camouflaging, suggesting some adults mask strategically to navigate social systems and access opportunities.
Summarised by AI from the full paper, without a clinician reviewing it. Check it against the source before it changes what you do. Read it on PubMed →