Investigation of the functional interaction between problematic behaviors, social interaction, and attentional...

Prior research has suggested that visual attention plays a critical role in social cognition and adaptive functioning. Building on these findings, the present study investigated whether similar patterns of visual attention are associated with social abilities in typically developing adults. Fifty participants completed a modified version of an attentional cuing task, the Adult Self-Report (ASR), and the Sociotype Questionnaire (SOCQ) to assess social functioning and behavior. Performance on the visual attention task showed that participants performed better when a cue indicating the target location was presented prior to the appearance of the task stimuli, demonstrating a classic cuing effect. Correlational analyses revealed a negative association between the magnitude of the cuing effect and ASR scores, suggesting that higher levels of self-reported maladaptive behaviors were linked to reduced attentional benefits. In contrast, SOCQ scores were positively correlated with the cuing effect. Additionally, a significant negative correlation between ASR and SOCQ scores indicated that individuals reporting more problem behaviors also experienced greater social difficulties. These findings add to the growing body of evidence linking visual attention capabilities to social adaptability. They suggest that attentional mechanisms may play a role in supporting social interactions, even in non-clinical populations. This study highlights the potential of visual attention as a cognitive factor underlying social functioning in typical development and opens avenues for future research beyond clinical contexts.