Factors related to social inferencing performance in moderate-severe, chronic TBI

Abstract

Following traumatic brain injury (TBI), deficits in social cognition are common. Social inferencing is a crucial component of social cognition that enables an individual to understand the thoughts, feelings, and intentions of a communication partner when said information is not explicitly stated. Existing literature suggests a variety of factors contribute to social inferencing success (e.g., biological sex, executive functioning), yet findings are not conclusive, largely because these factors have been examined in isolation. In this cross-sectional study, stepwise regression with cross validation was used to examine the extent that demographic information, neuropsychological, behavioral and emotion measures, and participation in society were associated with social inferencing (measured by performance on The Awareness of Social Inference Test [TASIT]) in adult participants with TBI (n=105). When evaluating the TASIT sum score, findings revealed main effects of executive function and participation. Evaluation of TASIT subtests yielded more information about factors related to emotion perception and inference in minimal and enriched contexts. Findings confirm the importance of higher-level cognitive skills (i.e., executive functioning) in social inferencing, and advance the literature by underlining the potential importance of productive participation in social inferencing performance. This study innovatively highlights factors linked with social inferencing skills and, in doing so, how deficits in social inferencing might manifest in the lives of individuals with TBI.