Untangling Sex and Gender Differences in Impression Management and Associated Autism Features in French Autistic Adults

ABSTRACT Some autistic individuals camouflage their behavioral differences, a phenomenon that overlaps with general impression management (IM). Few studies have examined IM in autistic people, particularly outside English‐speaking countries. This study delineated the shared facets of camouflaging and IM, and used this conceptual clarification to address two knowledge gaps: (1) the respective roles of assigned‐sex, gender identity, and gender role expression in explaining IM facet differences, and (2) how these facets relate to autism features across life stages. French autistic adults ( N = 291) completed self‐report measures of camouflaging, concern for appropriateness, self‐monitoring, and gender role expression. The Autism Diagnostic Interview‐Revised (ADI‐R) and the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule Second Edition (ADOS‐2) measured childhood and adulthood autism features, respectively. Joint exploratory factor analysis extracted latent facets of camouflaging and IM measures. Hierarchical and elastic‐net regressions examined how IM facets were associated with assigned‐sex, gender identity, and gender role expression. Multiple regressions tested whether IM facets moderated the relationship between childhood and adulthood autism profiles. The results highlighted the multi‐faceted nature of IM (as inclusive of camouflaging) and unveiled nuances beyond previously documented sex/gender differences in autistic camouflaging. We found two IM facets: “intentional use” (purposeful IM use) and “self‐efficacy” (self‐perceived IM capability). IM intentional use was greater in autistic women and gender‐diverse adults than men. Greater IM self‐efficacy was most strongly associated with higher communion traits (i.e., qualities of being caring and cooperative). In autistic assigned‐males, greater IM self‐efficacy was linked with lower adulthood autistic social communication features. The findings confer new insights into sex‐related, gender‐related, and potential developmental links between IM and autism profiles.