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  • Title: High Autistic Traits or Low Social Competence? Correlates of Social Camouflaging in Non-Autistic Adults.
    Author: O'Loghlen JJ, Lang CP.
    Journal: Autism Adulthood; 2024 Mar 01; 6(1):60-71. PubMed ID: 38435328.
    Abstract:
    BACKGROUND: Autistic traits have been linked with the use of social camouflaging behavior by non-autistic people. In addition, low social competence (i.e., poor social skills) has also been posited as a possible explanation for the use of social camouflaging by non-autistic people. In this study, we investigated the comparative influence of autistic traits and social competence on three components of social camouflaging (compensation, masking, and assimilation) in a sample of non-autistic adults. METHODS: Using a cross-sectional design, we recruited 284 undergraduate students (28.5% male; 69.7% female; 1.8% not specified) who reported that they had never been diagnosed with autism. Participants completed standardized measures assessing social camouflaging, autistic traits, social competence, and psychological distress via an online questionnaire. RESULTS: We found that women reported greater use of social camouflaging, and greater social camouflaging use was associated with worse psychological distress. We also found that both social competence and autistic traits were associated with the use of social camouflaging, with higher autistic traits influencing camouflaging use to a greater degree than low social competence. Compared with the use of compensation- and assimilation-based social camouflaging, masking was the least well explained by the current predictors. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that social competence and autistic traits are important factors influencing the use of social camouflaging by non-autistic adults. However, there are other (unknown) factors that contribute to the use of each aspect of camouflaging by non-autistic individuals, and a deeper understanding of the individual motivations for social camouflaging use is still needed. In turn, this may allow for the development of psychosocial interventions to offset the need for social camouflaging and mitigate the negative psychological consequences often associated with its use. WHY IS THIS AN IMPORTANT ISSUE?: Autistic traits have been linked with the use of social camouflaging behavior by non-autistic people. Poor social skills have also been suggested as a possible explanation for social camouflaging use by non-autistic people. By exploring social camouflaging with non-autistic people, we may be able to offer different, and possibly complimentary, understandings about the developing construct of social camouflaging and its link with psychological well-being. WHAT WAS THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY?: We explored the links between aspects of autism and social skills, and the use of different social camouflaging behaviors, among non-autistic people with varying levels of autistic traits and social skills. WHAT DID THE RESEARCHERS DO?: We conducted an online survey with 284 undergraduate students who stated that they had never been diagnosed with autism. Our participants provided personal information (e.g., age, gender) and answered questionnaires that investigated different types of autistic traits (rigid personality, pragmatic language deficits, and aloof personality) and aspects of social competence (initiating relationships, asserting displeasure, self-disclosure, providing emotional and managing interpersonal conflict) in relation to three different types of social camouflaging behavior (compensation, masking, and assimilation) and their psychological well-being. WHAT WERE THE RESULTS OF THE STUDY?: We found that both low self-assessed social skills and high autistic traits were associated with the use of social camouflaging behaviors by non-autistic adults. Women reported more social camouflaging than men. We also found that higher autistic traits influenced social camouflaging use more than low social skills, although the strength of influence varied with the type of social camouflaging behavior. All types of social camouflaging were related to worse psychological well-being. WHAT DO THESE FINDINGS ADD TO WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN?: This study is among the first to investigate social camouflaging, autistic traits, and social skills in a nuanced way with non-autistic people. Our findings offer new explanations for how specific camouflaging behaviors may be influenced by different aspects of social behavior in non-autistic people. WHAT ARE POTENTIAL WEAKNESSES IN THIS STUDY?: Our participants were university students, so most participants were young, female, and Caucasian. Therefore, research within diverse samples of non-autistic people is still needed. Also, we only looked at a broad measure of psychological distress, so more in-depth investigation of social camouflaging and specific psychological experiences, such as social anxiety, is still needed. HOW WILL THESE FINDINGS HELP AUTISTIC ADULTS NOW OR IN THE FUTURE?: Social camouflaging seems to be costly in terms of the effort required to camouflage and its flow-on effects for psychological well-being. Understanding what factors might contribute to camouflaging for both autistic and non-autistic adults might lead to better ideas about less effortful ways to manage difficult social situations or techniques to reduce possible costs of camouflaging.
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