Executive Functioning and Theory of Mind: Links with Emerging Adult Peer, Occupational, and Romantic Adjustment

Few studies have directly examined associations between executive functioning (EF), theory of mind (ToM), and social adjustment among emerging adults, as well as contextual variables influencing these associations. This dissertation was devised to explore relationships between EF, ToM, and social adjustment in emerging adults in a programmatic fashion, utilizing different methodologies. Study 1 was a systematic review. The goal was to outline a research-based model of emerging adult peer, occupational, and romantic adjustment, based on EF and ToM. The review protocol was published with PRISMA. Descriptive synthesis across 38 studies revealed small to moderate effects of survey measures of self/emotional regulation EF difficulties on peer or romantic adjustment, with larger effects on aggression-based peer or dating variables. Both survey-based and performance-based EF measures predicted occupational adjustment. ADHD symptoms moderately predicted impairment in all domains. Rare studies examining ToM showed its significant positive associations with romantic adjustment, inconsistent associations with peer adjustment, and did not investigate its associations with occupational adjustment. The Study 2 goal was to address research gaps identified in Study 1, and to test an SEM model of executive dysfunction (EDF) and ToM effects on social adjustment in a sample of 295 emerging adults. Survey-based EDF negatively predicted peer and occupational adjustment, and positively predicted dating aggression. Latent ToM positively predicted peer and academic adjustment, and negatively predicted dating aggression. ADHD positively predicted EDF, and family-functioning negatively predicted EDF through increased anxiety. As partially hypothesized, performance-based EDF negatively predicted academic, though not employment adjustment. Study 3 was a qualitative deductive thematic analysis with 15 emerging adults with head injury histories. The goal was to further explore variables contextualizing associations between EF, ToM, and social adjustment. Several sub-themes assumed apriori resulted, including problems with EF, ToM, friendships, school, work, and romantic relationships, in addition to social support protective factors. Emergent themes included non-executive cognitive problems, physical symptoms, temperamental characteristics, sports and driving problems, and coping strategies. In summary, the common themes across the three studies included evidence of significant but limited associations between EF, ToM, and social adjustment, with influences on these associations from biopsychosocial risk and resilience factors.