Nonverbal Social Skills Research Articles

Verbal and Non-Verbal Social Skills of Primary School Students

Social skills are a factor that determines an individual's quality of social interactions with their surrounding. A high development level of social skills contributes to self-respect and self-esteem, which has a positive impact on human relations and, consequently, on the possibility of self-affirmation in different areas of life. The results of research that had to examine verbal and non-verbal social skills of primary school students are presented in this research paper. The research sample number was 506 students from six primary schools located in the city of Tuzla. Taking the sex of students as a variable into consideration, there were 225 girls and 281 boys, aged 11- 14. Regarding the research instruments, the Inventory of social skills (Roggio and Throckmorton 1986) was applied, and it comprised two areas: emotional-nonverbal, which reflects non-verbal social skills, and socio-verbal, the sub-scales of which measure verbal social skills. During the data processing, descriptive statistics were utilized, and the obtained indicators lead to a conclusion that primary school students show average results on both verbal and non-verbal domains of the Inventory of social skills. In the context of non-verbal social skills, students had the highest results on the Scale of sensitivity to emotions whereas, in the area of verbal social skills, the students had the highest results on the Scale of social sensitivity. These results enable insight into current conditions regarding the social skills of primary school students and since they are based on students' self-evaluation, they can serve as a basis for further research which should encompass the teachers' and parents' assessment.

Non-Verbal Social Skills Assessment in Rett Syndrome: a Systematic Review

Non-Verbal Social Skills Assessment in Rett Syndrome: a Systematic Review

The Effectiveness of Augmented Virtual Reality Applications on Developing Non-Verbal Social Communication for Pre-School Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in the State Of Qatar

The current research aimed to design simple application software based on augmented reality (AR) technology, which may contribute to the development of some of the non-verbal communication skills in a sample of 20 children with an autism spectrum disorder, aged between 5 and six years in the state of Qatar. The study used a questionnaire to measure the current non-verbal social skills designed by researchers, in addition to developing some AR applications on tablets. The study followed a quasi-experimental approach based on one experimental group with a pre-and-post design. Some non-parametric statistical methods were used. The proposed application is expected to help children with autism spectrum develop skills to recognize basic human emotions such as happiness, surprise, sadness, anger, fear, and pain. Also, the application helps develop some adaptive behaviors in some hazardous situatuations such as drowning and electricity. Keywords: Autism spectrum disorder, augmented virtual reality; non-verbal communication skills; preschool children

Measuring the Effectiveness of Implementing Discrete Trial Training Program to Synchronize the Non-Verbal Social Communication Skills among ASD-Children in Pakistani Context

Measuring the Effectiveness of Implementing Discrete Trial Training Program to Synchronize the Non-Verbal Social Communication Skills among ASD-Children in Pakistani Context

Development and Validation of Non-Verbal Social Skill Rating Scale for Mentally Ill

Aim: The aim of this study is to develop and validate the Non-verbal Social Skill Rating Scale for MentallyIll.Objectives:• To generate the scale items through focus group discussion.• To identify the appropriateness and relevance of items through subject matter expert rating.• To establish the psychometric properties of developed scale.• To develop norms for developed scale.Methodology: Formulation of 48 statements was done with focus group discussion. The statements were sentto 26 experts in the field of Occupational therapy, Psychiatrist Psychologist and Psychiatric Social Workerfor validating the items. Total of 48 items are validated by the experts. A total of 100 samples includingBipolar disorder, Schizophrenia, Depression, Anxiety, Schizoaffective disorder and acute psychosis wereselected for the field trial or main study those who were residing in psychiatric homes at Tamil Nadu.Samples were selected by using convenient sampling method. Socio demographic data sheet prepared byinvestigators were used for collecting baseline information.Conclusion: This research shows the assessment tool has good internal consistency and reliability. Theexpert validation was done and got good relevance. Hence, Non-verbal Social Skill Rating Scale forMentally Ill indicated that the scale is a reliable and valid measure of Non-verbal social skills, which is usedto identify the level of Non-verbal Social Skill of Mentally Ill.

Does Less Optimal Nonverbal Communication with Peers Predict the Development of Depression in Adolescent Boys and Girls?

A Social Skills Deficit Model for depression in adolescence was tested, proposing that less optimal nonverbal behavior elicits negative reactions in peer partners, which in turn result in depressive symptoms. Adolescents (12–17 years of age) participated in videotaped same-sex interactions. Several positive and negative nonverbal behaviors were coded. Two analyses were conducted using longitudinal data collected in four waves. First, the predictive role of nonverbal communication for depressive symptoms was tested in a normative sample of 170 adolescent dyads without (mild) depression at wave 1 (48% girls). Second, in a subsample of 31 adolescents who developed (sub)clinical depression in wave 2–4, behaviors during peer interactions prior to the development of depression were compared with behaviors of 31 matched controls that did not show mild depression in any wave (55% girls). Only gazing behavior showed the expected relationships. In girls, less gazing in targets was related to less gazing in peers, and if this response occurred, it subsequently predicted later depressive symptoms of targets. The importance of gazing behavior was confirmed in the (sub)clinical sample where girls, prior to increases in depressive symptoms, gazed less and boys gazed more as compared to controls. Interaction partners of these girls and boys also responded with less gazing. The findings indicate that nonverbal social skills are related to the development of depression in youth, particularly in girls.

Pragmatic Language across the Lifespan: Evaluating Nonverbal Language and Social Competence Skills Overtime in Individuals with High Functioning Autism and Pragmatic Language Impairment

Pragmatic language deficits are becoming more apparent and can be seen early on in life in individuals who present with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Asperger Syndrome (AS), and Social Communication Disorder (SCD) or Pragmatic Language Impairment (PLI). As our awareness and understanding of social communication disorders advance, so does our assessment and treatment of social language impairments. The current study aims to explore how paralinguistic cues (i.e., facial expressions, intonation/prosody), affective expression, and social context skills develop across the lifetime in students who are typically developing and students with ASD, AS, and PLI. The Clinical Assessment of Pragmatics (CAPs) was given to all students to assess current pragmatic language function. Four subtests from the CAPs were comparatively analyzed in individuals between the ages of 7:0 to 15:11 who present as: typically developing, present with PLI, and present with high functioning autism (HFA). The four key constructs analyzed for the purpose of this study include: affective expression, paralinguistic decoding, paralinguistic signals, and social context appraisal. Results of the current study revealed significant differences in both the typically developing group and PLI group across all ages in nonverbal language (paralinguistic decoding and paralinguistic signals) and social competence (affective expressive and social context appraisal) tasks. Additionally, the current study revealed that students with PLI disorder acquire social language skills in a similar pattern to typically developing students, however, at a delayed rate. Students with HFA did not appear to follow the same pattern of social language acquisition as typically developing students. Students with PLI and HFA may differ in their understanding and acquisition of nonverbal and social competence skills.

Otizm Spektrum Bozukluğu Olan Çocuklar İçin Erken Sosyal İletişim ve Etkileşim Ölçeği (ESİE) Geçerlik ve Güvenirlik Çalışması

Difficulties in nonverbal social communication and interaction skills are one of the diagnostic criteria and distinctive features of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). In this study, it was aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the Early Social Communication and Interaction (ESCI) scale, which was developed to assess nonverbal social communication and social interaction skills. Participants of the study consisted of 111 children with ASD aged 28.0-98.0 months. The ESCI scale was individually administered to the children, and interaction behaviors were analyzed by encoding them via video recordings. The validity of the scale was assessed by content and construct validity; reliability was assessed with internal Consistency-Cronbach Alpha and inter-observer reliability. As a result of the principal components analysis to examine the construct validity, the ESCI scale was found to have a one-factor structure which accounts for 72.51% of the variance. It has been determined that the factor loadings of the six measurements in the scale change between .72 and .90. It was found that the scores obtained from the measurements and the average of the total scores increased as the language level became complicated and the internal correlation coefficients between the measurements were significant and changed between .47 and .82. The Cronbach Alpha values for the reliability of the ESCI scale were found to be .87 in total and found to vary between .70 and .93 for the measurements. Findings show that nonverbal social communication and social interaction skills of children with ASD can be assessed with ESCI scale valid and reliable.

Augmented Reality Plus Concept Map Technique to Teach Children with ASD to Use Social Cues When Meeting and Greeting

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are characterized by a reduced ability to appropriately express social greetings. Studies have indicated that individuals with ASD might not recognize the crucial nonverbal cues that usually aid social interaction. Social reciprocity depends on the ability to empathize with others, to be aware of emotional and interpersonal cues, and to respond appropriately; it requires joint attention and nonverbal social skills. Fortunately, there is evidence-based research which shows that augmented reality (AR) attracts the attention of children with ASD and allows them to focus on social cues. AR has also been proved effective for teaching social skills. However, there is a lack of appropriate instructional scaffolds in AR applications to help students organize learning materials. Therefore, in this study, we use AR combined with concept map (CM) strategy as a training tool to focus on the standard nonverbal social cues to teach children with ASD how to appropriately reciprocate when they greet others. The learner can integrate the AR with CM strategy to visually conceptualize the social scenarios in a tabletop role-play training platform. Single-subject research with a multiple-baselines across-subject design was used in this study. Our results showed substantial increases in the children’s target responses during the intervention phases compared with the baseline phases. Generalization probes were administered during baseline (4–8 sessions for 0.5–1 month), intervention (10 sessions for 1.2 months), and maintenance phases (4–8 sessions for 0.5–1 month) to assess the generalization and maintenance of learned skills. The three-phase test data suggest that the AR with CM intervention was moderately effective in teaching the target greeting responses to children with ASD. The practical and developmental implications of the findings are discussed.

Social media use profile, social skills, and nurse-patient interaction among Registered Nurses in tertiary hospitals: A structural equation model analysis

BackgroundSocial media has become increasingly important over the past decades and has been integrated in various environments, including the healthcare setting. Yet, the influence of social media use on the social skills and nurse-patient interaction of nurses is an area in nursing that requires further studies. This study determined the interrelationships among social media use profile, social skills, and nurse-patient interaction of Registered Nurses in tertiary hospitals. MethodsEmploying structural equation modeling, a descriptive-correlational study was conducted among 212 consecutively-selected nurses from two tertiary hospitals. Consenting respondents completed a two-part survey composed of the respondent profile sheet and the Social Skills Inventory. The respondent profile sheet assessed demographic profile and social media use profile in terms of the mode, frequency, and duration of utilization. Three trained team members observed each nurse-patient dyad and completed the Nurse-Patient Bonding Instrument. ResultsA good fit model illustrated the negative effects of frequent social media use to patient openness (β = −0.18, p < 0.05) and engagement (β = −0.11, p ≤ 0.05). Longer use of social media on a daily basis, however, positively affected both dimensions of social skills. Accessing social media platforms using non-handheld devices showed the most influential positive effects to social skills and nurse-patient interaction. Additionally, although verbal social skills positively affected most dimensions of nurse-patient interaction, non-verbal social skills negatively influenced patient engagement (β = −0.19, p = 0.019) and nurse openness (β = −0.38, p ≤ 0.05). ConclusionThe structural model illustrates the effects of using social media on the social skills and nurse-patient interaction of nurses and emphasizes the need for implementing institutional policies on the judicious use and application of social media in the workplace. Further, social skills development programs geared toward having a balanced social skill must be implemented.

Communication in the second and third year of life: Relationships between nonverbal social skills and language

We aimed to investigate developmental continuities between a range of early social and communicative abilities (including gestural communication) and language acquisition in children aged between 11 and 41 months. Initiation of joint attention and imitation were strongly correlated to language comprehension and production. Moreover, the analysis of different communicative gestures revealed significant relationships between language development and the production of symbolic gestures, declarative pointing (declarative informative pointing in particular), and head nodding. Other gestures such as imperative pointing, showing, and head shaking were not found to correlate with language level. Our results also suggest that distinct processes are involved in the development of language comprehension and production, and highlight the importance of considering various characteristics of children’s early communicative skills.

Relations Between Nonverbal and Verbal Social Cognitive Skills and Complex Social Behavior in Children and Adolescents with Autism.

Although there is an extensive literature on domains of social skill deficits in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), little research has examined the relation between specific social cognitive skills and complex social behaviors in daily functioning. This was the aim of the present study. Participants were 37 (26 male and 11 female) children and adolescents aged 6-18years diagnosed with ASD. To determine the amount of variance in parent-rated complex social behavior accounted for by the linear combination of five directly-assessed social cognitive variables (i.e., adult and child facial and vocal affect recognition and social judgment) after controlling for general intellectual ability, a hierarchical regression analysis was performed. The linear combination of variables accounted for 35.4% of the variance in parent-rated complex social behavior. Vocal affect recognition in adult voices showed the strongest association with complex social behavior in ASD. Results suggest that assessment and training in vocal affective comprehension should be an important component of social skills interventions for individuals with ASD.

Somatic assessment of nonverbal social skills in children with Down syndrome: Using the Kestenberg Movement Profile as a tool for treatment planning

The focus of this quasi-experimental pilot study is how to support the emergence of the full potential development of nonverbal social skills in children with Down syndrome (DS). It is an exploratory case study using an embedded-multiple case design. This study views working with the social skills of a 6-year-old girl with DS through the lens of the Kestenberg Movement Profile (KMP). Through this lens, the social intelligence, relational shaping, developmental movement, and nonverbal communication of a child with DS were explored. In order to more accurately identify the child's strengths and challenges a triangulation approach is used. Data were collected for the child with DS and her typically developing, fraternal, twin sister using the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales-II as a quantitative assessment tool, the KMP as a qualitative assessment tool, and from a naturalistic observation in their home environment in order to assess and compare their nonverbal social skills.

Frontolimbic neural circuitry at 6 months predicts individual differences in joint attention at 9 months

Elucidating the neural basis of joint attention in infancy promises to yield important insights into the development of language and social cognition, and directly informs developmental models of autism. We describe a new method for evaluating responding to joint attention performance in infancy that highlights the 9- to 10-month period as a time interval of maximal individual differences. We then demonstrate that fractional anisotropy in the right uncinate fasciculus, a white matter fiber bundle connecting the amygdala to the ventral-medial prefrontal cortex and anterior temporal pole, measured in 6-month-olds predicts individual differences in responding to joint attention at 9 months of age. The white matter microstructure of the right uncinate was not related to receptive language ability at 9 months. These findings suggest that the development of core nonverbal social communication skills in infancy is largely supported by preceding developments within right lateralized frontotemporal brain systems.

Elevated cortisol during play is associated with age and social engagement in children with autism.

BackgroundThe hallmark characteristic of autism is impaired reciprocal social interaction. While children find social interaction stress-reducing, many children with autism may find social interaction stress-inducing. The current study was designed to examine stress responsivity as measured by cortisol by comparing children with autism to neurotypical peers during an ecologically valid 20-minute playground paradigm.MethodsThe experiment involved sets of three children: a child with autism, a neurotypical child, and a confederate. Participants included 45 prepubescent males between 8 and 12 years of age (21 with autism and 24 neurotypical children).ResultsChildren with autism showed fewer initiations (χ²(1) = 4.03, P = 0.044), rejected initiations from others more (χ²(1) = 7.10, P = 0.008) and spent less time interacting during motor (F(1,43) = 16.7, P = 0.0002) and cooperative (F(1,43) = 14.78, P = 0.0004) play. Repeated measures analysis of the cortisol values revealed a significant model (χ²(4) = 22.76, P < 0.0005) that included time of measurement, diagnosis and age as main effects and an interaction between diagnosis and age. Thus, as age increased among children with autism, they experienced enhanced cortisol levels while age did not modify expected cortisol levels for typical children. Stress responsivity was associated with more peripheral equipment play for motor (χ²(3) = 12.3, P = 0.006) and cooperative (χ²(3) = 8.24, P = 0.04) play as well as reduced nonverbal social skills during motor (χ²(1) = 5.52, P = 0.018) and cooperative play (χ²(1) = 4.53, P = 0.033).ConclusionsOverall, children with autism engaged in fewer social overtures and spent less time interacting than typically developing peers during play. The peer interaction paradigm resulted in significantly higher levels of cortisol in many children with autism. Distinct patterns emerged within the autism group based on developmental (older), biological (cortisol responder) and behavioral patterns (peripheral group interaction). The enhanced cortisol response was observed in children who voluntarily engaged in interaction; thus, it does not support the notion of a response to social threat. Rather, it appears to reflect attendant metabolic preparedness and enhanced arousal from engaging socially. The data suggest that many children with autism activate hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal responses in relatively benign social situations, which appears to be a function of age and level of social engagement. The findings support the need to teach coping strategies in addition to fundamental social skills to youth with autism.

Nonverbal Social Skills of Adults with Mild Intellectual Disability Diagnosed with Depression

Depression is one of the most common psychiatric disorders in adults with intellectual disability (ID), yet little is known about depressive behaviors in an ID population. This study examined the nonverbal social skills of 18 adults with mild ID diagnosed with depression and a matched sample of adults with mild ID without depression. Nonverbal social skills were coded from videotapes of actual social interactions. Results indicate that adults with mild ID diagnosed with depression evidence a profile of maladaptive nonverbal social skills including limited body movement, a restricted range of facial expressions, infrequent smiling, speaking in a flat and quiet voice, and taking a long time to respond to the questions or comments of a social partner. Findings from this study have implications for enhancing the early detection and diagnosis of depression and guiding theories of and treatments for depression in an ID population.

The Interrelationships of Psychopathology Symptoms on Social Skills in Adults with Autism or PDD-NOS and Intellectual Disability

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are debilitating, life long conditions which are known to co-occur with intellectual disability (ID) and comorbid psychopathology. All of these are risk factors, yet little has been done to explore the degree that these variables alone and in combination impact the well being of such persons. Three-hundred and two adults with severe or profound ID were studied. From the total sample, 137 evinced ASD (either autism or PDD-NOS). The Diagnostic Assessment for the Severely Handicapped-II (DASH-II) was used to assess psychopathology symptoms. Social behaviors were assessed using the Matson Evaluation of Social Skills for Individuals with sEvere Retardation (MESSIER). For participants with ASD, psychopathology symptoms, particularly impulse and mania, were associated with negative social behaviors (i.e., nonverbal, verbal, and general) as well as positive verbal and nonverbal social skills. For participants with ID only, impulse symptoms, as well as symptoms of mania, PDD/autism, anxiety, organic, and stereotypy were associated with negative social behaviors, but not positive social skills as was found for participants with ASD.

The Effects of Improvisational Music Therapy on Joint Attention Behaviors in Autistic Children: A Randomized Controlled Study

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of improvisational music therapy on joint attention behaviors in pre-school children with autism. It was a randomized controlled study employing a single subject comparison design in two different conditions, improvisational music therapy and play sessions with toys, and using standardized tools and DVD analysis of sessions to evaluate behavioral changes in children with autism. The overall results indicated that improvisational music therapy was more effective at facilitating joint attention behaviors and non-verbal social communication skills in children than play. Session analysis showed significantly more and lengthier events of eye contact and turn-taking in improvisational music therapy than play sessions. The implications of these findings are discussed further.

Nonverbal social interaction skills of children with learning disabilities

Many children with learning disabilities (LD) face problems in their nonverbal communication, which constitutes an important component of their social skills. This study explores the frequency of nonverbal initiations and responses of 36 children with LD and 36 children without LD matched for age and gender, who were observed for 40 min during the break. Younger and older children with and without LD did not differ significantly in their nonverbal responses, but there was a statistically significant difference in terms of younger children's nonverbal initiations. Younger children with LD exhibited significantly fewer nonverbal initiations than younger children without LD. Findings are discussed and suggestions are made for further research.

Procedural Memory Predicts Social Skills in Persons With Schizophrenia

Despite a growing number of studies that have investigated the relationship between neurocognition and psychosocial outcome in schizophrenia, no studies have looked at the relationship between procedural memory and social skills measures in schizophrenia. The goal of this study was to investigate whether procedural memory, often preserved in schizophrenia, could predict nonverbal social skills in chronic patients with schizophrenia. Fourteen outpatients with schizophrenia participated in our study. Procedural memory was evaluated using the Mirror Reading Test, and nonverbal and verbal social skills were evaluated using a structured role play test. As predicted, there was a significant positive correlation between the learning index of the Mirror Reading Test and nonverbal skills (Spearman rho=0.559, p = 0.038), but not for verbal communication skills or processing skills. Although preliminary, these results provide the first evidence of an association between procedural memory and nonverbal social skills in patients with schizophrenia.