The Importance of Executive Functioning for Social Skills in College Students: A Relative Weights Analysis

Objective: Executive Functioning (EF) is a construct that is considered central to cognitive development and has recently garnered attention for its potential role in social functioning. This study investigated the relationship between EF and social skill using both multiple regression and relative weights analyses. Participants: A sample of undergraduate college students in the U.S. (N = 257; N[subscript female] = 145; M[subscript age] = 19.51) participated for course credit. Methods: Participants completed an online survey. Data were analyzed using multiple regression and relative weights analysis to better understand the unique contribution of EF skills to specific social skills. Results: For some dimensions of EF, ability positively correlated with adaptive social outcome, whereas for some other dimensions, "lower" ability correlated with positive social outcomes. Conclusions: EF may play a role in the general social functioning of college students, though the relationship appears complex and domain-specific.