This action research project sought to improve the social skills of targeted third-, fourth-, fifth-, and seventh-grade students in order to improve their classroom performance. The students' lack of social skills was documented by means of teacher observation checklists, teacher and student surveys, and past disciplinary records. Objectives of…

This paper presents the details of a parent training program for families of children with comorbid ADHD/ODD. The goal of the training is to develop specific parenting skills that promote pro-social compliance and decrease disruptive child behavior. There are two parts to the parent training program. First, a theoretical framework of interactions…

This manual is designed to assist Alberta (Canada) teachers in identifying social behavior difficulties in their students and promoting prosocial behavior through the use of various classroom activities. A social skills diagnostic screen is provided to aid teachers in assessing personal and interpersonal development, social reasoning skills, and…

This article reports on the findings of an action research enquiry examining the efficacy of group therapy as a means of facilitating cognitive-behavioural instruction for students who exhibit disruptive behaviours. A curriculum comprising the key tenets of cognitive-behaviour modification was developed and taught over a 9-week period to a group…

This action research project implemented and evaluated a program for improving social development of elementary school students in order to lessen disruptive behavior in physical education class. The targeted population consisted of elementary school children in second, fourth, and fifth grades in a growing rural, middle class community. Anecdotal…

Discusses the advantages of using developmentally appropriate guidance as a method of classroom management. Contrasts this method with traditional classroom discipline and clarifies the distinction between misbehavior and mistaken behavior. Analyzes the three levels of mistaken behavior and suggests that adults who approach children as individuals…

This study implemented a physical education curriculum focusing on positive social skills in two urban elementary schools. Results showed an immediate increase in student leadership and independent conflict resolution, increased class time devoted to activity participation, and decreased time spent off task or on organizational tasks. Similar…

Longitudinal links between perceived racial discrimination and later conduct problems and depressive symptoms were examined among 714 African American adolescents who were 10-12 years old at recruitment. Data were gathered 3 times over a 5-year period. Hypotheses were tested via latent curve modeling and multiple-group latent growth modeling.…

This study compared the peer functioning of a community sample of preschool boys with pervasive hyperactivity (N=33) and comparison boys (N=34), and examined the extent to which any differences in peer functioning between these groups could be explained by comorbid child conduct problems and parenting factors. The quality of boys' peer relations…

Trait emotional intelligence ("trait EI" or "trait emotional self-efficacy") is a constellation of emotion"related self"perceptions and dispositions comprising the affective aspects of personality. The present study investigated the role of trait EI in children's peer relations at school. One hundred and sixty pupils (83 girls; mean age = 10.8…

Emotional control has traditionally been emphasized in Chinese culture. The primary purpose of the study was to examine the relevance of early affect to social functioning in Chinese children. A sample of children, initially at two years of age, and their mothers in the People's Republic of China participated in this two-year longitudinal study.…

Based on observations in 10 preschools in Taipei (Taiwan) in 1982, describes social-emotional behaviors for teacher-child interactions, display of emotions, self-esteem, responsibility, and peer interactions. These behaviors are compared to those seen in centers on the Chinese mainland, suggesting similarities and differences in educational and…

Faced with increasing concerns of educators, parents, and students regarding the lack of school discipline, this study evaluated a social skills program to reduce inappropriate behavioral incidents in urban middle and rural high school students. Students' inappropriate behavior, such as talking back, not preparing for class or not participating in…

This action research project examined the effectiveness of a program to improve kindergartners' prosocial behaviors. Students' lack of social skills was documented by means of teacher and parent surveys, teacher anecdotal records, and behavioral observation checklists. The intervention had four components. The teacher directly taught social skills…

Examined nonshared environmental (NSE) influences on twin preschoolers' behavior independent of genetics. Found that within-pair parenting differences correlated with monozygotic differences in behavior. For the extreme 10 percent of the parenting-discordant and behavior-discordant distributions, average NSE effect size was 11 percent, suggesting…