A metaphor to guide our understanding of classroom community is weaving, where each individual strand (shared leadership, communication, responsiveness, moral unity, cooperation, shared environment and history, identification/involvement, wholeness, and interdependence) interacts with others to form an integrated whole. A classroom comprises…

Data from Australian consultants working in the South Pacific, their Pacific clients, and a group of Asian clients and consultants found differences in the qualities thought necessary for effective consultants. Cultural sensitivity was most important; technical expertise and interpersonal and teaching skills ranked next. Home country success was…

Rational behavior training is a proactive teaching model concerned with helping students with behavior disorders or serious emotional disturbances develop rational thinking and appropriate social skills. Describes a seven-session sequence for teaching rational behavior skills in a middle school setting. Pre- and posttest data revealed significant…

This study used the Scales of Independent Behavior (SIB) and the Social Skills Rating System (SSRS) to examine the relationship between ratings of adaptive behavior and social competence with 208 students in kindergarten through third grade with a variety of disabilities. The study provided evidence for the concurrent criterion-related validity of…

Discusses the concept of social intelligence (SI), including its history and contexts in which it may be valid; assesses SI from the perspectives of information management, information policy, and information economics; reviews tools and techniques associated with SI, including networks, hypermedia, and connectionism; and considers education and…

The family's values, attitudes, and ways of relating internally and externally determine its health-creating or destroying power. The family's overwhelming impact on human competence makes a strong case for premarital and parent education that prepares people for roles as spouses and parents. (SK)

This article provides suggestions to assist teachers in the development of mnemonic aids for basic academic, work, and social skills. It uses the mnemonic STRATEGY to present eight steps for mnemonic development. Use of the STRATEGY mnemonic to develop a variety of other mnemonics, concerned with study skills, listening, friendship, lunchtime…

Workplace gossip has consequences: stealing time, damaging morale, and hurting people. Gossip feeds on truth and falsehood, can become part of "corporate culture," and is inevitable. Administrators should plug information gaps, set a good example, promote a calm atmosphere, anticipate rumors, use informative staff newsletters, and teach…

This study examined intervention programs to increase the social integration of 3 children with deaf-blindness, aged 7 through 10. Although the number of socially integrated activities increased for each child, the children continued to have few consistent friends and acquaintances. The implications of these results for enhancing long-term social…

Reviews research on children's imaginary companions. Notes that companions may serve many psychological functions, such as compensating for real or perceived deficits, and helping the child through difficult developmental times. Suggests that the companion does not compromise reality testing or social development, but may foster developmental,…

Eighty-five children with learning disabilities (LD) in grades 3-6 were compared to matched low achieving (LA) peers. Results indicated that the two groups were comparable on most social competence measures, although LD children reported themselves less lonely than LA children, and regular class children rated LD children more likable than LA…

Examines the relationship between social perceptions (social attractiveness and speaker competence and dominance) and compliance with requests for help among college students. Finds that speech rate and other nonverbal behaviors may effect compliance by increasing the speaker's social attractiveness, creating obligations to comply, or exerting…

Reviews literature on social skills training with delinquent populations, with specific considerations of six questions pertaining to research in the field. Concludes that there is lack of information on social skills training with young offenders in an outpatient setting. Discusses future directions for research. (Author/NB)

Organizational behavior textbooks do not explain how to develop political competency. Students could benefit from learning how organizational politics affects decision making and how their own political behavior can reflect both organizational goals and individual interests and preferences. This article presents guidelines for helping students…

Evaluation of the reliability of 7 measures assessing social cognitive variables hypothesized to define social intelligence, with a total of 125 adolescents with mental retardation, found high to very high interrater reliability coefficients; moderate to very high internal reliabilities; and moderate to high test-retest reliabilities. (Author/DB)