Outlines a rationale for using social modeling as a strategy to encourage elementary school children to seek counseling. Identifies barriers to self referral and suggests methods for overcoming children's negative expectations of the counseling relationship. (ABB)

A social skills training program, with the components of individualized performance standards, response-specific feedback, self-monitoring, and group rewards, was conducted with three mildly retarded black mothers identified as child maltreaters. The game contingencies effectively increased the mothers' ability to identify the most effective…

Three studies examined three-, five-, and seven-year-old children's understandng of verbal terms ("easy" and "hard") concerning personal competence. Studies focused on developmental change in understanding the terms and were designed to provide information about the order in which understanding of the terms was acquired. (HOD)

The authors discuss skills required by human resources development (HRD) professionals to act in the capacity of an in-house consultant. They provide a self-assessment tool to identify skills that must be acquired or sharpened. (Author/CH)

Investigated 40 Army families regarding history of geographic mobility, identification with Army life, personal well-being, and children's school achievement and social competence. Frequent relocation was not detrimental to service member or spouse and was positively associated with higher child and social competence. Military identification…

An interview with four leaders (L. Brown, A. Halpern, S. Hasazi, and P. Wehman) on the conceptualization and implementation of transition programming for handicapped students focuses on such issues as the role of political factors, the possibility of effective school/adult service agency coordination, the importance of social skills, and emerging…

Describes a board game called Running Errands which is designed to (1) develop language and communication strategies in simulated situations and (2) develop social skills and provide cultural background knowledge. Its use with second language learners of any age and with young children in their own language is discussed. (Author/LRW)

Social services and employment training can not solve problems of poverty and joblessness. More powerful economic policies are necessary. As the economy changes from industrial to service oriented, workers must learn social skills in addition to their vocational skills. Researchers must re-examine the meaning and value of the work ethic.…

Interviews with 15 gifted/talented adolescents indicated that many of them experienced giftedness as a social handicap. Some students coped with this by managing information about themselves to minimize their visibility as gifted students to others. (Author/JDD)

Summarizes a sampling of theoretical and empirical research on play leadership in young children, and suggests ways in which teachers can encourage leadership or following behavior in their classes. (BB)

Reviewed 38 social skills training studies which used social-learning or social-cognitive approach and were published between 1976 and 1985, analyzing methods of outcome assessment. Recommended outcome measures, often not adequately measured, included generalization and durability of treatment effects, and functional analysis of relationship…

The concept of entrapment, viewed as a conceptual framework for social interaction skills training, is a behavioral process whereby newly acquired social responses come under the control of naturally occurring reinforcers, usually the social behavior of peers. Selection of target behaviors and intervention procedures to promote entrapment are…

Conducted study to determine sociometric group structure of sixth grade classes in four elementary schools (N=372); acceptance, rejection, and isolate interaction patterns; and psychological and social self-perceptions of sociometric isolate. Results identified six most frequently selected psychological and six most frequently selected social…

Maintains that play is a basic activity necessary for normal development of young children; it aids in the development of cognitive skills, social skills and moral rules, control of one's environment, emotional release, flexibility/creativity and physical ability and condition. Also presents teachers and parents with ideas to encourage play.…

Type and quality of nonfamilial child care were found to have no significant effect on peer social skills, sociability with strange adults, and child personality. The major determinants of personality maturity were background variables. Prior social skills and age were the best predictors of peer social skills. (PCB)