Perception of Attachment Security, Neurodynamics of Emotion Recognition, and Social Skills in Late Childhood and Early Adolescence: A Multilinear Modeling Study

This study explores the relationship between perception of attachment security (PAS), neurobehavioral dynamics during emotion recognition, and social skills (SSk) in late childhood and early adolescence using a multilinear modeling approach. Participants engaged in a facial expression of emotion recognition task while electroencephalography (EEG) signals were recorded. Our multilinear modeling approach aims to capture the interaction between what is predefined as "known" and "unknown" effects in a more interpretable manner. Based on prior research and theoretical perspectives, it was hypothesized that higher PAS levels would be associated with improved performance in emotion recognition tasks, including enhanced accuracy, faster reaction times, and distinct neurobehavioral dynamics. Additionally, superior task performance was predicted to be linked to enhanced social skills. Results show early midline occipital increment in neurobehavioral dynamics at approximately 70 and 170 ms, indicating that attachment security shapes the organization of the nervous system and facilitates early neurobehavioral processes. This finding suggests that individuals with higher attachment security levels possess a heightened ability to perceive and understand emotions, ultimately contributing to enhanced social competence. Furthermore, social competence was found to influence early dynamics over right hemisphere sensors, underscoring the significance of positive social skills and attachment security in integrating facial expressions of emotions. During later processing stages, dynamics associated with antisocial behavior exhibited an increment around 200 ms after stimulus onset. This finding suggests that cognitive resources may be allocated toward disengaging from or sustaining emotional processing, potentially impeding the consideration of interpersonal interactions and contextual factors crucial for social skill development. Understanding the relationship between neurobehavioral dynamics, antisocial behavior, and social competence highlights the importance of considering a broader range of factors to fully comprehend social competence.