Assessment Of Social Cognition Research Articles

Clinical assessment of object relations and social cognition using stories told to the picture arrangement subtest of the WAIS-R.

For many years clinicians have supplemented the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised (WAIS-R; Wechsler, 1981) Picture Arrangement (PA) subtest by asking subjects to "tell the story" made by the sequence of cards. Doing so allows assessment of the underlying reasoning behind the subject's response and adds a projective element to the task. This article describes a method for systematically assessing several dimensions of object relations and social cognition from the stories subjects tell to the PA subtest. Six scales, which have been validated in several studies, are described: Episode Integration, Accuracy of Causal Attributions, Affect-Tone of Relationship Paradigms, Capacity for Emotional Investment in Relationships and Moral Standards, Complexity of Representations, and Accuracy of Character Ascriptions. Evidence for convergent and discriminant validity is presented by comparing PA scale scores of reliably diagnosed borderline inpatients, depressed inpatients, and normal comparison subjects, with scores from self-report instruments measuring symptomatology and social adjustment. Clinical use of the scales is then illustrated by applying them to PA story texts of a borderline patient and a normal subject.

Family Interaction, Social Cognition and Children's Subsequent Relations with Peers at Kindergarten

This study examined relations among family interaction qualities and children's social cognitions and subsequent social competence with peers. Thirty five-year-old children (fifteen boys) and their families were observed in their homes and the children were administered a social cognitive assessment battery during the summer prior to the children's entry into kindergarten. Interactional episodes were coded in terms of the degree of observed parent-child responsiveness, coerciveness and intrusiveness. Social cognitive measures consisted of self-efficacy and outcome expectations regarding aggressive and competent responding to hypothetical conflicts. Children's subsequent relations with peers in kindergarten were evaluated on the basis of teacher ratings. Social competence with peers was predicted by responsive family interactions and lower self-efficacy scores for both aggressive and competent responding. Aggression with peers was predicted by coercive and intrusive family interactions and higher self-efficacy scores for aggressive responding. Regression analyses suggested that the social cognitive patterns mediated the relation between family interaction and children's social behavior. Implications of these findings are discussed with respect to the role of family interaction patterns in the social transmission of interpersonal style.

Concepts of Sexual Behaviour: Construction and Validation of a Developmental Model

Based on developmental formulations in different content areas of social cognitive functioning, a model and assessment procedure to determine adolescents' understanding of sexual behaviour was developed and psychometrically evaluated. A four stage model of sexual behaviour concepts was supported in a sample of 492 adolescents and young adults. The results showed the Sexual Behaviour Concepts measure has acceptable reliability (interrater, internal consistency, and test-retest) and construct validity in relation to age and Loevinger's measure of ego level development. There was no social desirability effect. Gender differences were in favour of females. The relevance of a construct of sexual behaviour understanding in the process of adolescent development was considered.

The Relation between Third- through Eighth-Grade Children's Social Cognition and Parents' Ratings of Social Skills and General Adjustment

Summary This study examined the relation between three aspects of 189 third-through eighth-grade children's social cognition (interpersonal understanding, perceived social self-competence, and public self awareness) and parents' assessments of children's social skills and personal adjustment. Children's low performance on all three social cognition tasks was significantly related to parents' perceptions of many social skills problems. Parents' perceptions of general child maladjustment were significantly related to children's low performance on the interpersonal understanding and perceived social self-competence tasks. The results are consistent with previous findings of a positive relation between children's social cognition and their interpersonal competence.

Children's communicative strategies : a social-cognitive assessment

Children's communicative strategies : a social-cognitive assessment