Recognizing that enhancing the interpersonal problem solving skills of children as young as age four can reduce or prevent high-risk behaviors later on, researchers designed a competence-building model of primary prevention. The two criteria tested were: (1) the theory of interpersonal cognitive problem solving (ICPS) skills as mediators of social…

Interventions for adolescent substance abuse currently include social skills training components despite the fact that the nature and extent of social skills problems among adolescents who abuse substances has yet to be documented in the research. In the current investigation, 95 adolescents who were in treatment for substance abuse were compared…

A study examined conflict resolution strategies employed by a kindergarten teacher with her class of 22 students. Naturalistic observation was used to investigate the strategies in instances of four specific behaviors: being aggressive, blaming, bossing, and tattling. The investigation revealed that, after repeated exposure to and numerous…

This practicum addressed the effectiveness of a social skills training program with adolescent students identified as "at risk" and enrolled in alternative education programs. These students had not achieved a high level of prosocial competence which created inadequate emotional and/or behavioral adjustment in the school setting. This increased…

A study investigated the relationship among four possible mechanisms for children's socialization of emotion: (1) mothers are essentially modeling the expression of emotion; (2) mothers' emotions serve a coaching function; (3) the affective environment to which a child is exposed may impact general social-emotional competence; and (4) mothers'…

This practicum attempted to increase interpersonal skills and academic competence of 14 high school students with emotional handicaps through use of peer tutoring. The 17 high school seniors selected as peer assistors received training prior to program implementation. Peer assistors were required to identify goals and strategies weekly, work with…

This document looks at the college student who is an adult child from a dysfunctional family, applying Chickering's seven vectors of college-age student development to that student's experiences at college. Each of Chickering's seven vectors (developing competence, managing emotions, developing autonomy, establishing identity, freeing…

This paper describes the planning of a qualitative research methodology to develop strategies to improve and expand social interaction skills of deaf-blind students in supported employment settings. Characteristics of qualitative research are delineated and include: definition of the domain of the research; an evolving study design; behavior…

The precise events that cause embarrassability (a chronic susceptibility to embarrassment) have yet to be fully understood. Some theorists argue that embarrassing circumstances cause an acute concern for the manner in which one is being evaluated by others. Other theorists argue that maladroit interaction is the only necessary cause of…

Using meta-analytic techniques, 54 studies were analyzed for differences in competencies of technically and professionally educated nurses. The research examined (1) the difference in three generic competencies (conceptual, human, functional) between nurses educated in technical versus professional programs, and (2) the relationship between the…

This booklet reviews the literature and suggests effective strategies for teaching social skills to children and youth with autism. The first chapter reviews the four common approaches for promoting social development. An individual chapter is then given to each of these: direct skill instruction; antecedent prompting procedures; peer-initiated…

The first of five volumes on Project REACH (Regular Education for All Children with Handicaps) describes an approach for assessing and programing for the social skills needs of students with severe disabilities. Three major categories of social skills--social exchange, social rules, and body posture--are addressed. A section on assessment covers…

This study explored the relationship between conceptual level, a social cognitive variable, and second language communicative competence. The subjects were female secondary school students in five second-year French classes. The research hypotheses stated that conceptual level was related to the development of communicative competence while…

Studies of children's deceptive behavior have scientific merit and can be carried out in an ethically defensible manner. Many arguments against studies requiring children to deceive others in an experimental context are relatively easy to refute. It is true, though, that the debriefing phase of deception studies presents ethical problems,…