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

ABSTRACT

Objective

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 this 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.

Method

In this cross-sectional study, stepwise regression with cross validation was used to examine the extent that several theoretically motivated factors were associated with social inferencing (measured by performance on The Awareness of Social Inference Test [TASIT]) in adult participants with TBI (n = 105). Demographic information, executive functioning, aggression, emotional functioning measures, and participation in society were all examined in relation to social inferencing performance.

Results

The 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.

Conclusion

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.

KEYWORDS:

• Traumatic brain injury
• social communication
• participation
• social inferencing
• executive function

Disclosure statement

The authors have no conflicts of interest pertaining to the current study.

Data availability statement

Data may be made available upon request to [email protected] and with proper Data Use Agreement in place as needed.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research, Field Initiated Program under Grant #90IF00-95-01-00 to Indianapolis University School of Medicine (PI: Dawn Neumann).