Chapter 9 - The Contribution of Social Goal Setting to Children's School Adjustment

Abstract

This chapter explores the contribution of social goal setting to children's school adjustment. Social goal setting is a multifaceted and complex process. This chapter describes the goal setting that involves interpreting social situations and deciding which goals are appropriate or inappropriate to pursue under which conditions; it involves choices that can lead to socially competent or incompetent behavior, and it requires coordination of global social needs and the demands of specific situations. Children's ability to coordinate the multiple demands of teachers, parents, and peers with their own personal needs appears to be one of the most critical skills to develop in dealing with these often competing social influences. The impact of other social context factors such as gender, race, and culture also needs to be incorporated into research designs. Existing models of cognitive development based on social interactions and skills would suggest more universal processes of development. Finally, theoretical and empirical advances that can challenge and test these hypotheses remain an exciting challenge for the field.