An Investigation of Executive Functioning’s Association with Social Aptitude

Executive functioning (EF) is a construct that lacks clear definition in the psychological literature, but it is generally considered central to cognitive development and maturity. Recent comprehensive theories of EF suggest that the self-regulatory abilities associated with the EF system are associated with social competence and ability in humans; however, little empirical data stands to support this connection. Online surveys were collected from undergraduate participants at Appalachian State University to gather information on EF ability and social aptitude. The purpose was to determine if there was a relationship between self-reported EF ability and social skills and characteristics. Significant relationships between EF variables and social skills variables were found in five of six regression models and overall variance explained ranged from 4% to 23%. While these results lend support to an EF and social functioning connection, the relationship appears to be more complex than initially thought.