Reduced emotional empathy in adults with subclinical ADHD:Evidence from the empathy and systemizing quotient

Studies in children with ADHD suggest impairments in social cognitive functions, whereas studies in adults with ADHD are scarce and inconclusive. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between ADHD traits and self-reported social cognitive style in a sample of adults from the general population. For this purpose, a community sample of 685 adults filled out online self-report questionnaires about ADHD symptoms (ADHD Rating Scale, ARS), social cognitive functioning and friendships. The Empathy Quotient (EQ) with the subscales Cognitive Empathy (CE), Emotional Empathy (EE) and Social Skills (SS), and the Systemizing Quotient (SQ) were included for measuring social cognitive style and the Friendship Questionnaire (FQ) for the quality of friendships. Participants who met the DSM-5 criteria on the ARS ('subclinical ADHD'; n = 56) were compared regarding their social cognitive functioning scores with a control group (n = 56) that was matched for age, sex and student status. With small effect sizes, the subclinical ADHD group showed reduced EE scores on the EQ and a more male social cognitive profile. This result was not influenced by sex or ADHD subtype. This study points to a relationship between traits of ADHD and the emotional aspect of empathy, whereas more complex aspects of empathy were unrelated. These findings should be corroborated in clinical patients with ADHD, employing neuropsychological tests rather than self-report questionnaires

[poster on] Are traits of ADHD associated with self-reported social cognition in an adult community sample?

Introduction: Studies in children with ADHD suggest impairments in social cognitive functions, whereas studies in adults with ADHD are lacking. Objectives: The first aim was to investigate the relationship between self-reported social cognition and ADHD traits in a normal population (dimensional approach). The second aim was to investigate whether participants with a screening diagnosis (DSM-5 criteria) differ from matched controls in their reports of social cognition (categorical approach). Methods: A community sample of 685 respondents was surveyed online, including the ADHD Rating Scale (ARS). The Empathy Quotient (EQ) with the subscales Cognitive Empathy (CE), Emotional Empathy (EE), and Social Skills (SS), and the Systemizing Quotient (SQ) were included for measuring social cognition. In the dimensional approach, multiple regression was used to investigate whether social cognition measures predicted ADHD traits. In the categorical approach participants with an ARS screening diagnosis of ADHD (n = 109) were compared to matched controls on the social cognition scores. Results: Dimensional approach: Subscales SS and EE significantly predicted ADHD traits (8.5% explained variance). In males, only SS predicted ADHD traits, whereas in females both variables contributed to the model. Categorical approach: With small effect sizes, the female ADHD group had reduced EQ scores, enlarged SQ scores, and a more male brain type than their matched controls. No differences were found for males. Discussion: Both the dimensional and categorical approach revealed a small but significant relationship between social cognition and ADHD traits in adults. This relationship depends on gender and is more prominent in females

The role of groups as local context in large Enterprise Social Networks: A Case Study of Yammer at Deloitte Australia

Enterprise Social Networking, the application of popular social networking techniques to the workplaces of organisations, is an increasingly common phenomenon. But its nature, benefits and proliferation are not yet fully understood. In this study we investigate ESN communication at the micro-level. We focus on the role of the group feature in structuring and providing context for communication in large ESNs. Our case study is Yammer at Deloitte. In contrast to previous studies we carry out an analysis of communication at the thread (conversation) level, rather than at the level of single messages. This allows us to provide a more contextual understanding of the group aspects of communication. We find that information sharing underpins the majority of communication threads, which speaks to the usefulness of ESN, in particular in the context of knowledge-intensive work. We further uncover differences between network-wide and group-centred communication and derive a framework of four group archetypes, based on different group communication patterns. Our findings are useful for decision-makers in providing a better understanding of the role of groups in providing local contexts for users in large ESNs