This study examines the pragmatic strategies that learners utilize to negotiate a resolution when refusing a native speaker of higher status in three asymmetric situations (+Power, +Distance). Following Pomerantz's (1984) analysis of dispreferred responses, this study focuses on refusals to an invitation, a request, and a suggestion. Refusal…

This study addressed questions about the relations between personal characteristics and aspects of home environments and young children's subsequent academically relevant peer interaction behaviors in kindergarten in a sample of 108 preschool-age children (57 males, 51 females) from 2 Midwest cities and neighboring communities. A year prior to the…

Differences in cooperation and competition were assessed in samples of Polynesian and European children, ages 7 to 12. (JMB)

A program to teach basic social skills to institutionalized severely retarded adults began with identification of those social behaviors that were most desirable and realistic. Following development of the Basic Social Skills Inventory, specific training suggestions were developed for each step of the scale. The program was field tested with two…

The role of interaction and the importance of relationships with peers and significant others in the development of gifted adolescent girls' self-perceptions of ability are explored. Findings are based on a qualitative study which utilized participant-observation, interviewing, and artifact collection in one middle school. Ten girls (grades 6-8)…

The paper examines the social aspects of learning disabilities (LD) in adults, noting the role of the early imprinting process which may influence them throughout their lives. It is noted that LD adults have missed learning social skills that involve a sensitivity to subtlety, an awareness of voice tones, and a realization of time and other…

Based on the idea that the relationship between a client and its advertising agency is primarily a "people" relationship, a study was undertaken to examine the factors that influence a client's satisfaction with its agency, particularly in the day-to-day, or maintenance, phase of the relationship. Data were taken from responses given by…

A high school program is described that uses an informal survey to help teachers identify potential academic, social, and career oriented problems facing mainstreamed handicapped students. These problems and suggested intervention procedures are listed for study/coping skills of time management, memory systems, listening ability, compensatory…

Defining defensiveness as a protective reaction resulting from fear or a threat to one's face or ego, this paper provides a perspective on both verbal and nonverbal aspects of defensiveness. First, the paper examines two trait-like communication predispositions--communication apprehension and touch avoidance--which arguably produce defensive…

The study explored the organization of mentally retarded individuals' event knowledge and the relationship between social knowledge and performance in naturally occurring events. Twenty mentally retarded adults and 20 nonretarded preschoolers were asked to sequence photographs of events depicted in familiar and novel contexts. Preschoolers were…

The study was designed to increase the range of conversational topics and the appropriateness of topics discussed by three students (9-14 years old) with severe or moderate handicaps. The participants were trained to initiate social conversations and expand upon the social conversations of others within a training context that closely simulated…

Major considerations that were addressed in developing a social skills curriculum for mildly handicapped adolescents and young adults are outlined. It was necessary that the curriculum be based on as broad a source of information as possible. It had to be responsive to the unique characteristics of the mildly handicapped population and, finally,…

The study compared 86 learning disabled (LD) with 86 matched non-learning disabled (NLD) children (7-11 years old) on three domains of variables: social problem solving skills, school behavior, and family background. The LD children were deficient in all three domains. More specifically, they were able to generate fewer alternatives for solving…

The use of a modified form of the Interpersonal Process Recall (IPR) technique was studied as an influence on the counseling dimensions of level of regard, empathic understanding, unconditionality of regard, and congruence. Analysis of covariance revealed no significant differences between groups on each of the four variables. (Author)

This document is a trainer manual for a five-day workshop on social conflict and negotiative problem solving. Objectives of the workshop include an understanding of (1) personal orientation to conflict; (2) differences between collaborative, negotiative, and win-lose conflict-solving strategies; (3) in-depth conditions and processes for successful…