(PS6-71) Emotion Recognition Accuracy Moderates Association Between ADHD Symptoms and Peer Processes

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is associated with peer difficulties, which may stem from challenges among children with ADHD with recognizing the emotions of others. Given that the ability to accurately identify others’ emotions is a critical component of successful social interactions, such abilities may be protective from peer difficulties for youth with ADHD. More specifically, youth with ADHD who are able to accurately identify other’s emotions may be better equipped to navigate peer relationships and have more positive psychosocial adjustment compared those who struggle with emotion recognition. To test this possibility, 93 fourth-grade students (M age = 9.87, SD = .50 years) completed the Youth Self-Report Inventory ADHD subscale, and their teachers completed a measure of youth prosocial and aggressive behaviors (Interactions with Other Children) in a community-based participatory research study in an urban school. Children also completed the computer-based Facial Expression Labeling Task. Hierarchical linear regression models examined associations among sex assigned at birth, age, ADHD symptoms, emotion recognition accuracy (Happy, Sad, Angry, or Fearful expressions), and the ADHD symptoms × emotion recognition accuracy interaction term as predictors of prosocial behavior or peer aggression. ADHD symptoms were positively associated with aggressive behaviors and negatively associated with prosocial behavior. All four emotion accuracies were positively associated with each other, and child age was negatively associated with prosocial behavior. Prosocial age behavior was associated with younger age and female sex. Peer aggression was associated with male sex and higher ADHD symptoms. Ability to accurately identify Happiness moderated the ADHD-Peer Aggression relation (β = .23, p </em>= .022). Post hoc probing revealed that the slope was significant for high Happiness accuracy (B = 2.718, p = .001), but not low Happiness accuracy (B = .912 p =.146). Specifically, those with lower Happiness accuracy exhibited elevated levels of aggression regardless of their levels of ADHD symptoms. Children with higher ADHD symptoms and higher Happiness accuracy had higher levels of aggression compared to youth with lower ADHD symptoms; however, both groups exhibited lower levels of aggression than those with lower accuracy. This pattern of findings supports the notion that accurate emotion recognition may serve as a buffer for peer difficulties among children with ADHD symptoms. While many ADHD interventions target academic success, these findings suggest that interventions targeting social information processing or augmented evidence-based practice to specifically addresses emotion recognition may be beneficial for youth with ADHD across social settings.