This article focuses on interpersonal problem solving as a way of enhancing the social competence of young children. While many children acquire strategies for interacting positively with others and need no specific intervention, some children have difficulty in acquiring or displaying successful interpersonal problem solving skills. When children…

Although the situations in which and for which drama teachers are trained vary widely, six principles can be applied to virtually all drama education programs. First, drama teacher education must be based upon the contexts in which the students will be teaching. Second, drama teacher education should be based upon the interpersonal skills both of…

This document presents a curriculum developed for the prevention of violence in teenage relationships. A guide for presenting material in four class periods is included. Student learning objectives are listed and a pre/post test is included. Each of the four objectives is discussed in its own section of the curriculum. Objective I, Dating…

The goal of this investigation was to explore the role social competence plays in peer group relations. Social competence, as based on exchange theory, was "operationalized" as including high levels of interpersonal positiveness, and accuracy in perceiving one's social status. Also explored was the extent to which satisfaction is a…

A school psychologist implemented a practicum designed to increase the prosocial behaviors of children attending a preschool center that integrated handicapped (N=26) and nonhandicapped (N=22) children. Observations had indicated that many of the children at the center were unable to work and play with others without hitting and getting hurt in…

This presentation describes young children's social development, beginning with infancy and spanning the early childhood years. Topics include: (1) attachment when the infant is very young; (2) a social-learning theory view of the early months of life; (3) the onset of prosocial behavior and responsibility; and (4) competence in the early…

A study examined how people respond to violations of F. Heider's (1958) balance principle when learning patterns of sentiments among people in a group. Subjects, 90 students from introductory psychology and communication courses at the University of Kansas, participated in the experiment, and were randomly assigned to one of three schema…

The Identifying School Behavior Problems program is a computer based system for developing and implementing individualized education plans for the social-emotional skills area. Designed for use with troubled children, the program systematically leads the teacher through processes of assessment, instruction, and recordkeeping using a menu system of…

This study investigates the relationship between interpersonal behaviors and leader behaviors for present and prospective leaders in business administration and educational administration. Interpersonal behavior characteristics are measured by Schutz' FIRO-B (Fundamental Interpersonal Relations Orientation--Behavior) Scales, while leader behavior…

A pair of 9-year-old boys with socioemotional and interpersonal difficulties was observed unobtrusively in 35 weekly hour-long therapy sessions over the course of 2 school years. A transcript/narrative analysis technique was used to identify all interpersonal negotiation strategies each child used within each session. Strategies were classified…

A dark side of modernization parallels the numerous and obvious positive social impacts. Current social, political, economic, and ecological plights have been viewed as manifestations of a broader cultural crisis caused by adherence to a "reductionist" approach to reality. Reality, indeed, can only be understood in terms of process and…

The manual presents a curriculum designed for use with emotionally disturbed adolescents. The curriculum is designed to help students learn skills needed to behave in a socially competent manner and to provide teachers with a systematic approach to their instruction. The curriculum consists of four units (self control, problem solving,…

The study examined an approach to train three adolescents with moderate mental handicaps to use the conversational skills of initiating a topic and continuing the conversation by cueing an adult listener to speak. The instructional techniques of modeling, prompting, delay, and social reinforcement were used in intervention. A single subject…

The effect of interpersonal problem-solving skills training on the verbal and behavioral competence in the social problem-solving of preschoolers was assessed. An intervention was designed to help preschoolers set goals, generate alternatives, and evaluate outcomes in problematic social situations. For the verbal component of social…

The adjustment and competence patterns of boys with conduct disorders were investigated using a developmental approach to psychopathology. The sample consisted of 438 boys divided into two matched subgroups: boys with and without conduct disorders. In each subgroup, three age groups were defined. The Conners Abbreviated Symptom Questionnaire and…