Social Skills Performance Research Articles

Kształtowanie kompetencji społecznych uczniów z niepełnosprawnością w kontekście procesu wychowania

The purpose of this article is to discuss the issue of social skills of pupils with special educational needs. Special attention is paid to the role played by social skills in social functioning of the pupils and the significance of supporting the process of development of social skills. The article also contains a survey of literature pertaining to the subject of defining social skills, describing their components, and characterizing determinants and limits of their development in pupils with special educational needs. In addition, the article compares traditional and contemporary methods in special education and discusses the role in special education that should be played by the process of developing social skills in pupils with disability.

Parental Perception of Skills in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and the Relationship to Transition Processes

The process of transition between different developmental stages gains specific importance for individuals with ASD. Parents of children with ASD will face the challenge of guiding this transition both during the stages of physical and psychological development, and academic and occupational phases. The purpose of this study was to examine the parental perception of skills development in children with ASD and the relationship to perceived elements required to transition between different developmental stages. This descriptive, non-experimental, cross-sectional, and correlational study included 32 participants, the parents of ASD diagnosed children (aged between 3 and 22 years). Participants ranged in age from 22 to 52 years; 84.4% of them were women. Main findings: The perception from most participants emphasizes poor ability in children, regardless of developmental stage, to communicate or express emotions, which is translated into poor school-related and social skills performance. The fact that overall parents believe that their children are dependent and will require assistance from them or other people to perform everyday activities in the social, school, and family settings is highlighted as well. Depending on the child’s stage of development, parents express different expectations matching their children’s own development. Parents expect their children to grow up to be independent in certain aspects, as children develop more self-care skills with increase in age. However, most parents perceive that the prospects of a promising future for their children will be limited by children’s poor skills.

Effectiveness of Social Cognition and Interaction Training (SCIT) in Community Settings in Portugal

Social cognition is a promising treatment target in schizophrenia because of its close link to social functioning impairment. Social Cognition and Interaction Training (SCIT) has received support in efficacy trials, but its effectiveness in routine clinical care and in non-English speaking countries, including Portugal is not well established. The present study aimed to contribute to study the effectiveness of the Portuguese version of SCIT in routine care in Portugal. In the present quasi-experimental study, 35 outpatients with schizophrenia received either treatment as usual (TAU) (n = 16) or TAU plus SCIT (n = 19). Participants completed the Hinting task, the Ambiguous Intentions Hostility Questionnaire-Ambiguous items (AIHQ-A), and two measures of social functioning at baseline and after 24 weeks of treatment. On the Hinting task, both groups showed improvements, with a larger effect size in the SCIT group. On the AIHQ, the SCIT group showed a trend level advantage, which became significant when considering only patients with elevated baseline bias scores. The SCIT group showed strong improvements relative to the TAU group in social skill performance but no change in global social functioning. Overall, this study provides initial support for the feasibility and potential effectiveness of SCIT in community settings in Portugal.

The use of the social skills performance assessment (SSPA) among persons with serious mental illness: psychometric assessment and network analysis

Background: Challenges in social functioning are a major obstacle in the recovery process of persons with serious mental illness. Majority of social functioning measures use self-report assessments.Aims: To validate the use of a performance based measure and examine a network analysis that explores the centrality of items. In addition, to explore the distinctiveness between the social skills performance assessment (SSPA), and a self-report measure of social quality of life (SQoL).Method: One hundred fifty eight participants were administrated with the SSPA and SQoL scale. Intra-class correlation, Pearson correlation and Network analysis were performed.Results: A differentiation between the SQoL items and the SSPA items appeared. The strongest nodes in the network were social appropriateness (7.413), focus (7.763) and clarity (7.438) from the SSPA measure. The nodes rated highest on the betweenness measure were affect from the SSPA and satisfaction with getting along with other people from the SQoL scale.Conclusions: Interventions should target the skills of focus, clarity and social appropriateness as they present the central items in the network.

Using Assistive Technology to Generate Social Skills Use for Students With Emotional Behavior Disorders

Researchers have demonstrated the positive outcomes of using video self-modeling (VSM) with students with emotional behavior disorders (EBDs). VSM typically refers to teacher-created videos demonstrating desired skills or behaviors where the student is the video model performing the skill at a level higher than his or her typical display. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate the ease and effectiveness of a student-created VSM to generate social skills use in rural general education classrooms. Included are the steps three students with EBD used to produce VSM using an e-book application as an assistive technology to promote their performance of social skills in the general education environment. Suggestions are provided for school personnel who want to implement this assistive technology strategy in the general education setting.

Neuropsychological predictors of performance-based measures of functional capacity and social skills in individuals with severe mental illness

Neuropsychological abilities may underlie successful performance of everyday functioning and social skills. We aimed to determine the strongest neuropsychological predictors of performance-based functional capacity and social skills performance across the spectrum of severe mental illness (SMI). Unemployed outpatients with SMI (schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depression; n = 151) were administered neuropsychological (expanded MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery), functional capacity (UCSD Performance-Based Skills Assessment-Brief; UPSA-B), and social skills (Social Skills Performance Assessment; SSPA) assessments. Bivariate correlations between neuropsychological performance and UPSA-B and SSPA total scores showed that most neuropsychological tests were significantly associated with each performance-based measure. Forward entry stepwise regression analyses were conducted entering education, diagnosis, symptom severity, and neuropsychological performance as predictors of functional capacity and social skills. Diagnosis, working memory, sustained attention, and category and letter fluency emerged as significant predictors of functional capacity, in a model that explained 43% of the variance. Negative symptoms, sustained attention, and letter fluency were significant predictors of social skill performance, in a model explaining 35% of the variance. Functional capacity is positively associated with neuropsychological functioning, but diagnosis remains strongly influential, with mood disorder participants outperforming those with psychosis. Social skill performance appears to be positively associated with sustained attention and verbal fluency regardless of diagnosis; however, negative symptom severity strongly predicts social skills performance. Improving neuropsychological functioning may improve psychosocial functioning in people with SMI.

The association between social skills deficits and family history of mood disorder in bipolar I disorder.

Objective:To compare social skills and related executive functions among bipolar disorder (BD) patients with a family history of mood disorders (FHMD), BD patients with no FHMD and healthy control (HCs).Methods:We evaluated 20 euthymic patients with FHMD, 17 euthymic patients without FHMD, and 31 HCs using the Social Skills Inventory (SSI) and a neuropsychological battery evaluating executive function, inhibitory control, verbal fluency and estimated intelligence.Results:Both BD groups had lower SSI scores than controls. Scores for one subfactor of the social skills questionnaire, conversational skills and social performance, were significantly lower among patients with FHMD than among patients without FHMD (p = 0.019). Both groups of BD patients exhibited significant deficits in initiation/inhibition, but only BD patients with FHMD had deficits in verbal fluency, both compared to HC. There were no associations between social skills questionnaire scores and measures of cognitive function.Conclusion:Euthymic BD patients have lower social skills and executive function performance than HC. The presence of FHMD among BD patients is specifically associated with deficits in conversational and social performance skills, in addition to deficits in verbal fluency. Both characteristics might be associated with a common genetically determined pathophysiological substrate.

Social Problems in ADHD: Is it a Skills Acquisition or Performance Problem?

Recent models suggest that social skills training's inefficacy for children with ADHD may be due to target misspecification, such that their social problems reflect inconsistent performance rather than knowledge/skill gaps. No study to date, however, has disentangled social skills acquisition from performance deficits in children with ADHD. Children ages 8-12 with ADHD (n=47) and without ADHD (n=23) were assessed using the well-validated social behavioral analysis framework to quantify cross-informant social skills acquisition deficits, performance deficits, and strengths. Results provided support for the construct and predictive validities of this Social Skills Improvement System (SSIS) alternate scoring method, including expected magnitude and valence relations with BASC-2 social skills and ADHD symptoms based on both parent and teacher report. Acquisition deficits were relatively rare and idiosyncratic for both the ADHD and Non-ADHD groups, whereas children with ADHD demonstrated cross-informant social performance deficits (d=0.82-0.99) on several specific behaviors involving attention to peer directives, emotion regulation, and social reciprocity. Relative to themselves, children with ADHD were perceived by parents and teachers as exhibiting more social strengths than social acquisition deficits; however, they demonstrated significantly fewer social strengths than the Non-ADHD group (d = -0.71 to -0.89). These findings are consistent with recent conceptualizations suggesting that social problems in ADHD primarily reflect inconsistent performance rather than a lack of social knowledge/skills. Implications for refining social skills interventions for ADHD are discussed.

Neurocognitive and behavioral predictors of social problems in ADHD: A Bayesian framework.

Social problems are a key area of functional impairment for children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and converging evidence points to executive dysfunction as a potential mechanism underlying ADHD-related social dysfunction. The evidence is mixed, however, with regard to which neurocognitive abilities account for these relations. A well-characterized group of 117 children ages 8-13 (M = 10.45, SD = 1.53; 43 girls; 69.5% Caucasian/Non-Hispanic) with ADHD (n = 77) and without ADHD (n = 40) were administered multiple, counterbalanced tests of neurocognitive functioning and assessed for social skills via multi-informant reports. Bayesian linear regressions revealed strong support for working memory and cross-informant interfering behaviors (inattention, hyperactivity/impulsivity) as predictors of parent- and teacher-reported social problems. Working memory was also implicated in social skills acquisition deficits, performance deficits, and strengths based on parent and/or teacher report; inattention and/or hyperactivity showed strong correspondence with cross-informant social problems in all models. There was no evidence for, and in most models strong evidence against, effects of inhibitory control and processing speed. The ADHD group was impaired relative to the non-ADHD group on social skills (d = 0.82-0.88), visuospatial working memory (d = 0.89), and phonological working memory (d = 0.58). In contrast, the Bayesian ANOVAs indicated that the ADHD and non-ADHD groups were equivalent on processing speed, IQ, age, gender, and socioeconomic status (SES). There was no support for or against group differences in inhibition. These findings confirm that ADHD is associated with impaired social performance, and implicate working memory and core ADHD symptoms in the acquisition and performance of socially skilled behavior. (PsycINFO Database Record

Effects of a Program of Sport Schools on Development of Social and Psychomotor Skills of People with Autistic Spectrum Disorders: A Pilot Project

Individuals with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) present learning difficulties and limited performance of social skills, besides lower motor skills performance in comparison with their peers. Owing to these difficulties, most of children with ASD are at risk of social exclusion or a poor inclusion due to their behavior, mainly playing with other partners, understanding play and leisure as a main performance area for children and their main occupation during childhood (defining occupation from occupational therapy point of view). Therefore, learning rules of a well-known game such as football, together with social skills training can help avoid exclusion and improve social life of people with ASD. Two of the main objectives pursued by this study are: first, to favor football practice among children with different abilities, as well as their future inclusion in the rest of social sports schools performing the activities at the same level as their peers; and, secondly, to facilitate comprehensive development for young people in order to improve their quality of life, moreover, the creation of healthy and sporting habits.It is now presented a pilot project (n=5) in which the actions carried out during the training program are analyzed along with the results achieved after 24 one-hour-session. In general terms, the results obtained are positive with the best scores in psychomotor and social skills at the end of the programs, being conscious of this study’s limitations.

Using Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve to Define the Cutoff Points of Voice Handicap Index Applied to Young Adult Male Smokers

Voice performance is an inextricable key factor of everyday life. Obviously, the deterioration of voice quality can cause various problems to human communication and can therefore reduce the performance of social skills (relevant to voice). The deterioration could be originated from changes inside the system of the vocal tract and larynx. Various prognostic methods exist, and among them is the Voice Handicap Index (VHI). This tool includes self-reported questionnaires, used for determining the cutoff points of total score and of its three domains relevant to young male Greek smokers. The interpretation of the calculated cutoff points can serve as a strong indicator of imminent or future evaluation by a clinician. Consistent with previous calculation, the VHI can also act as a feedback for smokers' voice condition and as monitoring procedure toward smoking cessation. Specifically, the sample consisted of 130 male nondysphonic smokers (aged 18-33 years) who all participated in the VHI test procedure. The test results (through receiver operating characteristic analysis) concluded to a total cutoff point score of 19.50 (sensitivity: 0.838, 1-specificity: 0). Also, in terms of constructs, the Functional domain was equal to 7.50 (sensitivity: 0.676, 1-specificity: 0.032), the Physical domain was equal to 7.50 (sensitivity: 0.706, 1-specificity: 0.032), and the Emotional domain was equal to 6.50 (sensitivity: 0.809, 1-specificity: 0.048).

"Default mode functional connectivity is associated with social functioning in schizophrenia": Correction to Fox et al. (2017).

Reports an error in "Default mode functional connectivity is associated with social functioning in schizophrenia" by Jaclyn M. Fox, Samantha V. Abram, James L. Reilly, Shaun Eack, Morris B. Goldman, John G. Csernansky, Lei Wang and Matthew J. Smith (Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 2017[May], Vol 126[4], 392-405). In the article, the email address of corresponding author Matthew J. Smith was set as matthewsmith@northwestern.edu. It should have been mattjsmi@umich.edu. The online version of this article has been corrected. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2017-14073-001.) Individuals with schizophrenia display notable deficits in social functioning. Research indicates that neural connectivity within the default mode network (DMN) is related to social cognition and social functioning in healthy and clinical populations. However, the association between DMN connectivity, social cognition, and social functioning has not been studied in schizophrenia. For the present study, the authors used resting-state neuroimaging data to evaluate connectivity between the main DMN hubs (i.e., the medial prefrontal cortex [mPFC] and the posterior cingulate cortex-anterior precuneus [PPC]) in individuals with schizophrenia (n = 28) and controls (n = 32). The authors also examined whether DMN connectivity was associated with social functioning via social attainment (measured by the Specific Levels of Functioning Scale) and social competence (measured by the Social Skills Performance Assessment), and if social cognition mediates the association between DMN connectivity and these measures of social functioning. Results revealed that DMN connectivity did not differ between individuals with schizophrenia and controls. However, connectivity between the mPFC and PCC hubs was significantly associated with social competence and social attainment in individuals with schizophrenia but not in controls as reflected by a significant group-by-connectivity interaction. Social cognition did not mediate the association between DMN connectivity and social functioning in individuals with schizophrenia. The findings suggest that fronto-parietal DMN connectivity in particular may be differentially associated with social functioning in schizophrenia and controls. As a result, DMN connectivity may be used as a neuroimaging marker to monitor treatment response or as a potential target for interventions that aim to enhance social functioning in schizophrenia. (PsycINFO Database Record

The Effects of Group Instruction Using Board Game on Social Skills Performance and Mathematical Problem Solving Abilities of High School Students with Developmental Disabilities

The Effects of Group Instruction Using Board Game on Social Skills Performance and Mathematical Problem Solving Abilities of High School Students with Developmental Disabilities

Default mode functional connectivity is associated with social functioning in schizophrenia.

Individuals with schizophrenia display notable deficits in social functioning. Research indicates that neural connectivity within the default mode network (DMN) is related to social cognition and social functioning in healthy and clinical populations. However, the association between DMN connectivity, social cognition, and social functioning has not been studied in schizophrenia. For the present study, the authors used resting-state neuroimaging data to evaluate connectivity between the main DMN hubs (i.e., the medial prefrontal cortex [mPFC] and the posterior cingulate cortex-anterior precuneus [PPC]) in individuals with schizophrenia (n = 28) and controls (n = 32). The authors also examined whether DMN connectivity was associated with social functioning via social attainment (measured by the Specific Levels of Functioning Scale) and social competence (measured by the Social Skills Performance Assessment), and if social cognition mediates the association between DMN connectivity and these measures of social functioning. Results revealed that DMN connectivity did not differ between individuals with schizophrenia and controls. However, connectivity between the mPFC and PCC hubs was significantly associated with social competence and social attainment in individuals with schizophrenia but not in controls as reflected by a significant group-by-connectivity interaction. Social cognition did not mediate the association between DMN connectivity and social functioning in individuals with schizophrenia. The findings suggest that fronto-parietal DMN connectivity in particular may be differentially associated with social functioning in schizophrenia and controls. As a result, DMN connectivity may be used as a neuroimaging marker to monitor treatment response or as a potential target for interventions that aim to enhance social functioning in schizophrenia. (PsycINFO Database Record

A survey of the effect of leader’s social intelligence on employee’s perception of interpersonal justice: the mediating role of shared leadership

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of a leader’s social intelligence (SI) on an employee’s perception of interpersonal justice by considering the mediating role of shared leadership. Conceptual model and research hypotheses have been developed by the Marlowe’ SI model (1986), and the theory of shared leadership and interpersonal justice theory. Research population was Ministry of Education and training employees in TEHRAN; 108 employees were selected for gathering the required data. Data were collected using a standard questionnaire. Reliability testing of questionnaire with Cronbach’s alpha was confirmed by .96 coefficient. For analyzing data and determining the relationships between variables of conceptual model, the covariance-based structural equation modelling with maximum likelihood method has been used. Results provide acceptable evidence of convergent and discriminant validities and internal consistency and item reliabilities of the measure of SI, interpersonal justice and shared leadership. The study contributed to our understanding of the linkage among pro-social attitude, social performance skills, empathetic ability, emotional expressiveness and confidence between shared leadership and interpersonal justice. Results of data analysis show that among SI dimensions, the ‘pro-social attitude’ by .383 coefficient has the highest effect on perceived interpersonal justice. Also among shared leadership dimensions, the ‘perceived shared purpose’ by .378 coefficient has the highest effect on the perceived interpersonal justice.

Social cognition in patients at ultra-high risk for psychosis: What is the relation to social skills and functioning?

ObjectivePatients at ultra-high risk (UHR) for psychosis show significant impairments in functioning. It is essential to determine which factors influence functioning, as it may have implications for intervention strategies. This study examined whether social cognitive abilities and clinical symptoms are associated with functioning and social skills. MethodsThe study included 65 UHR patients and 30 healthy controls. Social cognitive function, social skills, and a broad range of functioning measures were assessed. ResultsThe UHR patients demonstrated significant decrements on The Awareness of Social Inferences Task total score (p=.046, d=.51), and on the CANTAB emotion recognition task total percent correct (p=.023, d=.54) displaying particular difficulties in negative affect recognition. The patients exhibited significant impairments in social skills measured with the High Risk Social Challenge (p˂.001, d=1.05). Aspects of emotion recognition were associated with role functioning and social skill performance. The level of attributional bias was associated with overall functioning, and theory of mind ability was associated with self-reported functioning. Negative symptoms were associated with all measures of functioning (p≤.05). ConclusionSignificant impairments in social cognition and social skills were found in UHR patients. The patients' social cognitive function was associated with overall functioning and social skills. Negative symptoms appear to play an important role for functioning. Research is needed to investigate how the relations between social cognition, social skills and functioning develop from the UHR state to the stage of manifest illness. Research into how deficits in social cognition and social skills can be ameliorated in UHR patients is warranted.

Rel8: demonstrating the feasibility of delivering an 8-week social skills program in a public mental health setting

As community mental health services integrate recovery-oriented practices, treatments that focus on skills development and social integration are desirable. This study aimed to examine the feasibility of implementing "Rel8", an 8-week social skills training group adapted to suit a public community mental health setting. A retrospective audit was conducted of quantitative and qualitative data from four groups run between 2011 and 2013. Pre- and post-group measures were collected, assessing self-rated friendships and confidence with social skills and clinician-rated social skill performance. Qualitative feedback about group participation was also collected through use of a developed questionnaire. Analysis revealed significant improvements in participants' confidence with their social skills following group participation, with a trend also found for improved social skill performance. "Rel8", an adapted 8-week social skills training group, is a feasible program in the context of community mental health services. The program added to the recovery-centred practice of the community mental health service while also adding to the diversity of clinician skills for psychosocial-oriented practice.

Emotional Intelligence and Job Performance: A Study among Malaysian Teachers

Abstract Educational systems around the world have rapidly experiencing changes and reforms, impacting to teachers’ job performance. Despite these changes, discussion on how to predict teachers’ performance is complex and remains difficult to evaluate. This study addresses the gap in the literature by investigating the role of emotional intelligence in teachers’ job performance. This study analyses the relationship between emotional intelligence (EI) which consists four dimensions: self-regulations, self-awareness, self-motivation and social skill (relationship management) and job performance. Respondents were 212 teachers in 6 secondary schools in Kedah. Data was collected through questionnaire survey and a significant correlation emerges from the data between emotional intelligence and job satisfaction. Overall, this research contributes to the emotional intelligence literatures by providing meaningful management implications to the school administrators and Malaysian higher education system.

Calibration and cross-validation of MCCB and CogState in schizophrenia.

Cognitive impairment associated with schizophrenia is a key predictor of functional outcomes. The FDA-accepted MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB) is held to be the gold standard measure but there are concerns about its ease of administration, reliance on language causing problems with translation and possible practice effects. The CogState Schizophrenia Battery (SB) is suggested as a non-language-based alternative but there is no substantial, independent comparison. The objective of this study was to assess the reliability and validity of these two assessment batteries. One hundred forty-three participants with DSM-IV schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder were recruited into three similar studies. Each study administered MCCB and SB tests on consecutive days (baseline 1 and 2) and follow-up 3-4weeks later. Batteries' test-retest reliability was similar: SB composites correlated r = 0.66-0.78 between baselines, MCCB domains r = 0.69-0.90. Baseline 2 and follow-up SB composites correlated r = 0.65-0.80 and MCCB domains r = 0.62-0.87. MCCB tasks' practice effects (Glass' ∆ = 0.02-0.46) exceeded SB's (Glass' ∆ = 0.02-0.34). While the batteries' total scores correlated strongly (r = 0.79-0.82), apparently equivalent cognitive domains on each battery (e.g. psychomotor-attention) correlated r = 0.22-0.60, indicating substantial differences between some supposed counterparts. Clinical trials using either battery would benefit from initial practice sessions to ameliorate practice effects but theSB may be more suitable to measure change in the absence of repeated baselines. TheMCCB domains' better correlations with social skills performance suggest that it may have an advantage for measuring cognition in relation to functional outcome.

Use of the Intervention Selection Profile–Social Skills to Identify Social Skill Acquisition Deficits

The purpose of this investigation was to develop and initially validate the Intervention Selection Profile–Social Skills (ISP-SS), a novel brief social skills assessment method intended for use at Tier 2. Participants included 54 elementary school teachers and their 243 randomly selected students. Teachers rated students on two rating scales, including the Social and Academic Behavior Risk Screener (SABRS) and the Social Skills Improvement System (SSIS). Items corresponding to the SABRS Social Behavior scale were considered for inclusion in the ISP-SS, given the research supporting the scale’s reliability, validity, and diagnostic accuracy as a predictor of social skill performance. A clinimetric approach was used in selecting SABRS items for the ISP-SS based upon applied utility, which was defined as the accuracy with which items predicted the presence of social skill acquisition deficits within broad skill domains. Findings supported the selection of six items, which yielded acceptable levels of agreement and classification accuracy. ISP-SS items evidenced adequate internal consistency, with alpha coefficients falling within acceptable ranges. Taken together, findings yielded initial support for the use of the ISP-SS in identifying acquisition deficits to be targeted via Tier 2 social skills instruction. Implications for practice and future directions for research are presented.