Social motivation refers to an individual’s innate drive to interact with others and seek social rewards.
Traditional autism theories suggest that reduced social motivation leads to fewer social interactions and subsequent difficulties in developing social skills.
However, “camouflaging” – where individuals consciously mask their autistic traits to appear more neurotypical in social situations – challenges this view.
The presence of camouflaging suggests some individuals with autistic traits may have high social motivation but face other barriers to successful interaction, requiring significant effort to navigate social situations in ways that feel more acceptable to others.
Porricelli, D., Happé, F., & Zahn, R. (2024). Individual differences in autonomy and sociotropy in relation to autistic traits, camouflaging and interpersonal functioning. Personality and Individual Differences, 227, 1–5. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2024.112715
Key Points
- Autistic traits and autonomy independently predict poorer interpersonal functioning, even after controlling for sociotropy and affective symptoms
- Sociotropy (need for social approval) and social anxiety independently predict increased camouflaging of autistic traits
- The findings challenge the social motivation hypothesis of autism which suggests that autistic individuals have lower innate social motivation
- The study explained 40% of variance in interpersonal functioning and 50% of variance in camouflaging behaviors
- Social anxiety symptoms were significantly associated with both reduced interpersonal functioning and increased camouflaging
- The research suggests that some individuals with autistic traits may be highly motivated to socialize but face other barriers to successful interaction
Rationale
Traditional theories about autism and social functioning have centered around two main explanations: the social cognition hypothesis and the social motivation hypothesis.
The social cognition hypothesis suggests that difficulties arise from challenges in perceiving and interpreting social information (Sasson et al., 2013; Senju, 2013).
In contrast, the social motivation hypothesis proposes that autism-related social difficulties stem from innate or early-onset impairments in social reward processing, leading to decreased social interaction (Chevallier et al., 2012; Mundy, 2019).
However, recent research on “camouflaging” – where individuals actively mask their autistic traits to appear more neurotypical – challenges the social motivation hypothesis (Cook et al., 2021).
This suggests some individuals with autistic traits may be highly motivated to socialize but face other barriers.
Understanding the relationship between autistic traits, social motivation (measured through autonomy and sociotropy), and interpersonal functioning could help clarify these competing theories and inform better support strategies.
Method
The study employed a cross-sectional design using online self-report measures.
Procedure
Participants completed an online survey battery including measures of autistic traits, interpersonal functioning, camouflaging behaviors, autonomy/sociotropy, depression, and social anxiety.
Sample
- 168 participants (71% female)
- Mean age = 30 years (SD = 10, range 18-67)
- Recruited through social media and university advertisements
- 13.7% scored above clinical cutoff for possible autism
- 81.5% reached cutoff for social anxiety
Measures
- Interpersonal Support Evaluation List Short Form (ISEL-SF)
- 16-item measure of perceived social support
- Used as proxy for interpersonal functioning
- Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire (CAT-Q)
- 25-item measure of masking autistic traits
- Excellent internal consistency (α > 0.91)
- Revised Personal Style Inventory (PSI-II)
- 48 items measuring autonomy and sociotropy
- Good test-retest reliability (r > 0.70)
- Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ-10)
- 10-item screening measure for autistic traits
- Score ≥6 suggests possible autism
- Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS)
- 24-item measure of social anxiety
- Score ≥30 indicates probable social anxiety
- Patient Health Questionnaire-8 (PHQ-8)
- Screens for depressive symptoms
- High internal consistency (α = 0.89)
Statistical Measures
- Two linear multiple regression models
- 2-sided p-value = .05 for partial regression effects
- Controlled for age, sex, depression, and social anxiety
Results
Hypothesis 1: Autistic traits predict interpersonal functioning independently of autonomy/sociotropy
- Confirmed: Both autistic traits (β = -0.23, p = .002) and autonomy (β = -0.14, p = .045) independently predicted poorer interpersonal functioning
- Model explained 40.1% of variance
Hypothesis 2: Sociotropy predicts camouflaging of autistic traits
- Confirmed: Sociotropy independently predicted camouflaging (β = 0.22, p = .001)
- Model explained 50% of variance
- Social anxiety also independently predicted camouflaging
Insight
This research challenges the traditional social motivation hypothesis of autism by demonstrating that social difficulties may not simply result from lack of social interest.
The finding that sociotropy predicts camouflaging suggests that some individuals with autistic traits are highly motivated to form social connections, even going to considerable effort to mask their natural behaviors.
The study introduces important nuance to our understanding of social functioning in autism by showing that different factors (autistic traits, autonomy, social anxiety) can independently contribute to social difficulties.
This suggests multiple pathways to social challenges, requiring different intervention approaches.
Strengths
This study had several methodological strengths, including:
- Large sample size with good statistical power
- Controlled for multiple potential confounding variables
- Used validated measures with good psychometric properties
- Examined both clinical and subclinical autistic traits
- Investigated multiple aspects of social functioning
- Strong theoretical grounding
Limitations
This study also had several methodological limitations, including:
- Cross-sectional design limits causal conclusions
- Self-report measures may be subject to bias
- Sample skewed toward those with social concerns
- May not generalize to diagnosed ASD population
- Did not consider cultural influences
- Small partial effect sizes for variables of interest
Implications
Clinical Practice Implications
The findings suggest a need to move beyond one-size-fits-all approaches to social difficulties in autism.
Clinicians should consider implementing targeted interventions that address both social anxiety and camouflaging behaviors, while recognizing that social challenges may arise through multiple pathways.
Treatment plans should be personalized based on individual profiles of autistic traits, social motivation, and anxiety levels rather than assuming reduced social motivation is the primary issue.
Theoretical Implications
This research challenges the traditional social motivation hypothesis of autism by demonstrating that social difficulties can exist independently of reduced social interest.
The findings call for more nuanced theoretical models that can account for varying patterns of social motivation, anxiety, and behavioral adaptation.
Future theoretical frameworks should better incorporate individual differences and multiple pathways to social challenges.
Research Implications
Future studies should prioritize three key areas: longitudinal research to understand developmental trajectories, inclusion of diagnosed ASD populations to verify if these relationships hold at clinical levels, and cross-cultural studies to examine how social norms influence both autistic trait expression and camouflaging behaviors.
Moving beyond self-report measures to include observational and objective measures would also strengthen future findings.
References
Primary reference
Porricelli, D., Happé, F., & Zahn, R. (2024). Individual differences in autonomy and sociotropy in relation to autistic traits, camouflaging and interpersonal functioning. Personality and Individual Differences, 227, 1–5. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2024.112715
Other references
Chevallier, C., Kohls, G., Troiani, V., Brodkin, E. S., & Schultz, R. T. (2012). The social motivation theory of autism. Trends in cognitive sciences, 16(4), 231-239.
Cook, J., Hull, L., Crane, L., & Mandy, W. (2021). Camouflaging in autism: A systematic review. Clinical psychology review, 89, 102080. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2021.102080
Mundy, P. C. (2019). Individual differences, social attention, and the history of the social motivation hypotheses of autism. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 42.
Sasson, N. J., Nowlin, R. B., & Pinkham, A. E. (2013). Social cognition, social skill, and the broad autism phenotype. Autism, 17(6), 655-667. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361312455704
Senju, A. (2013). Atypical development of spontaneous social cognition in autism spectrum disorders. Brain and Development, 35(2), 96-101. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.braindev.2012.08.002
Keep Learning
- How does the concept of camouflaging challenge traditional theories about autism and social motivation?
- What are the potential costs and benefits of camouflaging autistic traits? How might this inform clinical practice?
- How might cultural differences influence the relationship between autistic traits and social functioning?
- What role does social anxiety play in both interpersonal functioning and camouflaging? How might these relationships inform intervention strategies?
- How might the findings differ in a diagnosed ASD population versus the general population? What implications might this have for understanding autism as a spectrum?
