2016 Gatlinburg Conference Poster
PS-58
Title: Gender Differences in Relations between Emotion Regulation, Inhibition, and Adaptive Functioning in Children and
Adolescents with Williams Syndrome
Authors: G. Nathanael Schwarz, Kristin D. Smith, David Bennett, Carolyn B. Mervis, Bonita P. Klein-Tasman
Introduction: Adaptive functioning impairments are common among individuals with Williams syndrome (WS), as are difficulties
with emotion regulation and behavioral inhibition. Considerable variability in level of performance has been found in all three
areas (1,2,3). While intellectual functioning predicts adaptive functioning in individuals with WS (1), it does not account for a
large portion of the variance (estimates range from 14-49%), such that other potential predictors warrant exploration. In the
current study, we tested the hypothesis that inhibition difficulties may in part drive emotion regulation difficulties which in turn
may impair the development of adaptive behavior. Hence, the purpose of the current study was to examine whether emotion
regulation mediates the relation between inhibition and adaptive functioning in children and adolescents with WS, above and
beyond the contribution of intellectual functioning.
Methods: 91 children and adolescents with WS (48 girls, 43 boys), ages 8-15 years (M=11.35, SD=2.57) and their parents
participated. Parents completed the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF) to assess child executive functioning
in everyday contexts and were interviewed about their child's adaptive behavior using the Scales of Independent BehaviorRevised (SIB-R). Child intellectual functioning was measured with the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test-2 (KBIT-2).
Results: A series of multiple regression models was conducted to examine emotion regulation as mediator of the relation
between inhibition and adaptive functioning after accounting for intellectual functioning. Because girls had significantly higher
IQs (p=.025) and adaptive functioning standard scores (p=.008), gender was included as a predictor. Girls and boys did not differ
significantly in parental ratings of inhibition or emotion regulation. In Model 1, overall adaptive functioning (SIB-R Adaptive
Behavior Composite) was significantly predicted uniquely by BRIEF Inhibit T-scores (semi-partial correlation [sr] =.25, p=.002) and
IQ (KBIT-2 Composite, sr=.51, p<.001). In Model 2, emotion regulation (BRIEF Emotional Control T-score, sr=.19, p=.016)
significantly predicted adaptive functioning after controlling for inhibition (sr=.13, p=.091), IQ (sr=.50, p<.001) and gender
(sr=.10, p=.18). In Model 3, with the interaction between emotion regulation and gender added, emotion regulation predicted
adaptive functioning more for girls than for boys (sr=.18, p=.019). When analyses were conducted by gender subgroup, emotion
regulation (sr=.05, p=.67) did not predict adaptive functioning for boys after controlling for IQ (sr=.51, p<.001) and inhibition
(sr=.11, p=.43). However, emotion regulation (sr=.33, p=.001) did predict adaptive functioning after controlling for IQ (sr=.46,
p<.001) and inhibition (sr=.10, p=.314) for girls.
Discussion: Intellectual functioning was a consistent strong predictor of adaptive functioning. For girls with WS, inhibition and
emotion regulation also were related to adaptive functioning, and emotion regulation difficulties appear to mediate the relation
between inhibition and adaptive behavior. It is possible that, for girls, emotion regulation difficulties may disrupt successful
practice of adaptive skills. However, for boys with WS, only intellectual functioning was a significant unique predictor of adaptive
functioning, with no significant relations to inhibition or emotion regulation. Additional research, particularly with longitudinal
designs, may elucidate whether early emotion regulation difficulties predict adaptive functioning difficulties later in
development.
References/Citations:
• Mervis, C. B., Klein-Tasman, B. P., & Mastin, M. E. (2001). Adaptive behavior of 4-through 8-year-old children with
Williams syndrome. Journal Information,106(1).
• Mervis, C. B., & John, A. E. (2010). Cognitive and behavioral characteristics of children with Williams syndrome:
Implications for intervention approaches. American Journal of Medical Genetics Part C, 154C, 229-248.
• John, A. E., & Mervis, C. B. (2010). Sensory modulation impairments in children with Williams syndrome. American
Journal of Medical Genetics Part C, 154C, 266-276.
Funding: Research Scholar grant from the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Center for Applied Behavioral Health Research,
NICHD R37 HD29957, and NINDS R01 NS35102.