Associations between the broad autism phenotype, adult attachment, and relationship satisfaction among emerging adults

Beffel, Jenna H.; Cary, Kyla M.; Nuttall, Amy K.; Chopik, William J.; Maas, Megan K.

doi:10.1016/j.paid.2020.110409

Cited by 10 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…As a result, they might perceive their partner’s inability to understand their feelings, leading to more avoidant behaviors in relationships. Eventually, such feelings would contribute to dissatisfaction with relationships and even expand to a more general relationship (e.g., friends and classmates) in daily life ( 40 , 47 ), which could directly deteriorate subjective wellbeing ( 15 ). Overall, AEE can exert a direct influence on college students’ subjective wellbeing or indirectly influences subjective wellbeing through enhancing fear of intimacy and attachment avoidance sequentially.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, people with a fear of intimacy tend to suppress their emotional expression in romantic relationships, which means there is no satisfying self-disclosure related to emotions or feelings between romantic partners, let alone emotional support from partners. At this point, people tend to perceive such relationships as unrewarding, which eventually might lead to more avoidant behaviors in a relationship ( 46 , 47 ). In addition, the effort to hide one’s emotions may involve less sensitivity to another person’s pain ( 48 ), so people who have great FOI might fail in supporting their romantic partners in the emotional field, which is important when forming an intimate relationship.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Unraveling the effect of ambivalence over emotional expression on subjective wellbeing in Chinese college students in romantic relationships: A multiple mediation model

et al. 2022

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The sudden and unpredictable outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has severely threatened young adults’ physical and mental health and damaged the quality of relationships. As a critical stage of development, their well-being is more vulnerable to adverse environments which may lead to profound negative long-life mental health status. The current study aimed to investigate the mediation effects of fear of intimacy and attachment avoidance in the association between ambivalence over emotional expression and subjective wellbeing. A sample of 555 Chinese college students who are currently involved in romantic relationships (Mean age = 19.69, SD age = 1.36, 52% females) completed anonymous questionnaires regarding ambivalence over emotional expression, fear of intimacy, attachment avoidance, and subjective wellbeing. The findings revealed that ambivalence over emotional expression can predict negative subjective wellbeing of college students in romantic relationships significantly, and fear of intimacy and attachment avoidance played a sequentially mediating role in the association between ambivalence over emotional expression and subjective wellbeing. Surprisingly, when considering attachment avoidance independently, we found it had an inhibitory action on the link between ambivalence over emotional expression and subjective wellbeing. The present study contributes to a better understanding of how ambivalence over emotional expression can decrease subjective wellbeing, and also has implications for the intervention of students’ subjective wellbeing and closeness during the period of COVID-19.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Unraveling the effect of ambivalence over emotional expression on subjective wellbeing in Chinese college students in romantic relationships: A multiple mediation model

et al. 2022

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“…It was found in a nonclinical sample that Aloof has a positive correlation with social anxiety, characterized by the avoidance of social relations. Moreover, Aloof is related to lower satisfaction with romantic relationships among students (Beffel et al, 2021). When analyzing the results of the relationship between Empathic Concern and BAP, differences between empathy, as an emotional reaction, and Empathic Concern, which pertains to cognition and behavioral responses, should be considered.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Relationship between the Broader Autism Phenotype and empathy among students

Dučić

Kaljača

Stojković

2022

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Previous research has shown that persons with a higher level of the broad autism phenotype (BAP) experience deficits in empathy. The aim of the present study is to investigate a multivariate relationship between the BAP and different aspects of empathy. In a sample of 293 university students, we explored the relationship between the BAP and the following aspects of empathy: fantasy, empathic concern, perspective taking, and personal distress. The BAP level was measured using The Broad Autism Phenotype Questionnaire (BAPQ), and the Interpersonal Reactivity Index was used for multidimensional assessment of empathy disposition. Canonical correlation analysis yielded two functions (Function 1 ̶ Rc2 = 17.31%, Function 2 ̶ Rc2 = 10.82%). In Function 1, IRI subscales Personal Distress (PD) (rs = .92) and Perspective Taking (PT) (rs = -.39) are associated significantly with all three domains of the BAP. The strongest correlation PD and PT show with Rigid and Pragmatic Language domains of the BAP, while they demonstrate a weaker relationship with the Aloofness domain. In Function 2, IRI subscales Empathic Concern (EC) (rs = -.98), Fantasy (FS) (rs = -.46), PT (rs = -.43) and PD (rs = -.31) are related to the Aloofness domain of the BAP. The results imply that the relationship between BAP and empathy differs for different aspects of these two constructs. The more detailed understanding of the relationship between BAP and empathy obtained through the multivariate approach provides a basis from which to create programs for the more efficient promotion of empathy skills.

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“…Higher scores on measures of the BAP have been linked to fewer and fledgling romantic and friendship relationships and higher levels of loneliness and depression (Ingersoll & Hambrick, 2011;Jobe & White, 2007). These relational struggles are often attributable to deficits in responsiveness, empathy, social support, closeness, and a disinterest in starting and maintaining relationships (Beffel et al, 2021;Lamport & Turner, 2014;Pollmann et al, 2010;Wainer et al, 2013;Wallace et al, 2016). More specifically, each of the facets of the BAP-aloofness, pragmatic language difficulties, and rigidity-have each been linked to important outcomes.…”

Section: The Broader Autism Phenotypementioning

confidence: 99%

Age differences in broader autism phenotype traits from young adulthood to older adulthood

Chopik

Nuttall

et al. 2021

Autism Research

Self Cite

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Much of past research has been dedicated to refining the operationalization and correlates of the broader autism phenotype (BAP) and less on how the BAP differs by socio-demographic characteristics, like age-particularly after midlife. This gap is important because other nonclinical trait-like characteristics (e.g., personality) have shown considerable age differences, leading to work assessing the malleability of psychological characteristics and improving outcomes for individuals and their significant others. In the current study, we examined cross-sectional age differences in the BAP in a large sample of adults ranging in age from 18 to 85. We recruited a sample of 2966 adults ranging in age from 18 to 85 (M age = 36.53, SD = 12.61; 58.9% Female; 1.1% with an ASD diagnosis) recruited from an online survey service. We found that total BAP scores were higher in younger adults and lower among older adults. These differences were particularly true for pragmatic language difficulties, with this component of the BAP showing the most dramatic age differences. Aloofness showed similar negative associations with age, albeit much smaller. Rigidity was not significantly associated with age. The results are consistent with other research showing an abatement of symptoms among individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) across early life and theories predicting changes in other psychological characteristics (e.g., personality). The results are discussed in the context of the malleability of ASD and BAP traits across life, the clinical implications of these changes, and the origins and consequences for lifespan differences in BAP.Lay Summary: Little is known about how subclinical autistic-like traits among middle-aged and older adults compare to younger adults. We found that these subclinical traits were highest in young adults and lowest in older adults. Knowing how these traits differ by age can provide researchers and clinicians with a sense of how much these traits might change across life, if the traits might be sensitive to interventions, and when in development it might be best to intervene.

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Associations between the broad autism phenotype, adult attachment, and relationship satisfaction among emerging adults

Cited by 10 publications

References 44 publications

Unraveling the effect of ambivalence over emotional expression on subjective wellbeing in Chinese college students in romantic relationships: A multiple mediation model

Unraveling the effect of ambivalence over emotional expression on subjective wellbeing in Chinese college students in romantic relationships: A multiple mediation model

Relationship between the Broader Autism Phenotype and empathy among students

Age differences in broader autism phenotype traits from young adulthood to older adulthood

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