Predictor Of Social Competence Research Articles

Developmental trajectories of empathic concern in infancy and their links to social competence in early childhood.

Empathic concern is an important component of children's social competence. Yet, little is known about the role of the development of concern for others during infancy as a predictor of social competence in early childhood. Israeli infants (N = 165, 50% girls) were observed five times, from 3 to 36 months. Empathic concern was assessed at ages 3-18 months using observations, and four components of social competence were assessed at 36 months using observations and teacher reports. Four groups with distinct developmental trajectories of empathic concern from 3 to 18 months were identified: early-onset (starting high and increasing), low-empathy (starting low with minimal increase), rising (starting low and increasing considerably), and a very small group with a negative slope (decreasing). The first three trajectories differed on aspects of social competence at 36 months. Early-onset children continued to exhibit the highest empathic concern. Both the early-onset and rising groups had greater affective knowledge than the low-empathy group. Moreover, the rising group had better peer relations compared with low-empathy trajectory children. Children who exhibit high levels of empathy early in infancy are likely to show high social competence later on. However, even when initial empathy levels are low, subsequent growth in empathy from 3 to 18 months can occur, with positive consequences for children's social competence at 36 months. Only children with low initial empathic concern and minimal growth across infancy are at increased risk of having poorer socioemotional capabilities in early childhood.

The Maternal Role On Emotional Competence Development of Early Childhood

Abstract Emotional competence is a multi-dimensional construct, consists of the skills to recognize and understand emotions, express emotions appropriately, and regulate emotions. Emotional competence develops very rapidly during preschool age and helps the child's success in fulfilling the developmental task of that age, such as building a positive relationship with the social environment, regulating emotion in social interaction, as well as learning skills such as concentrating and following the teacher's direction. A number of studies also proved emotional competence as the predictor of social competence and academic competence of children. This article aims to discuss the theoretical review and research review on the maternal role in the development of children's emotional competence. It was found that mother has a protective factor through attachment and emotional socialization. Secure attachment helps the child to regulate negative emotions. Conversely, insecure attachment results in inadequate emotional regulation skills. Through the socialization of emotions by the mother, children learn to recognize emotions, express emotions, and regulate emotions. The maternal role is also related with cultural frames. Suggestions are given for further research on conceptual definition, instruments, and interventions to optimize the emotional competence of early childhood. Keywords: attachment, emotional socialization, emotional competence, early childhood

Frequency and Intensity of Emotional Expressiveness and Preschool Children’s Peer Competence

Children’s emotional expressiveness with peers was examined as a predictor of social competence. Data were collected from 122 preschool children (57 boys, 65 girls; 86 European American, 9 African American, 17 Hispanic, and 10 other ethnicity) over a period of two years. Observations of children’s peer interactions in Year 1 were coded for frequency and intensity of happiness, anger, sadness, and fear. Sociometric interviews and teacher ratings provided assessments of children’s peer competence in both Years 1 and 2. Frequent expression of happiness in Year 1 predicted higher social competence scores in Year 2, whereas frequent anger in Year 1 predicted lower peer competence Year 2. More intense anger and sadness in Year 1 predicted lower peer social competence scores in Year 2. Frequency and intensity of emotional expressiveness in Year 1 accounted for unique variance in peer competence in Year 2.

Social Phobia as a Predictor of Social Competence Perceived by Teenagers

<p class="apa">In this research, it was analyzed to what extent the variables of social avoidance, concern for being criticized and sense of individual worthlessness as sub-dimensions of social phobia predicted the perceived social competence levels of teenagers. The study group of this study included totally 648 students including 301 (46.5%) female and 347 (53.5%) male studying at high-school grade in Erzincan Provincial center. Age interval of the research group varied between 14 and 18. In the research, Perceived Social Competence Scale, Social Anxiety Scale and Personal Information Form were used as data collection tools. The data obtained in the research were analyzed through the stepwise regression analysis method as one of the multiple linear regression analysis. According to the research findings, the variables of social avoidance, concern for being criticized and sense of individual worthlessness significantly predicted perceived social competence.</p>

Personality Traits And Social Competence Of The Offenders Against Children

The aim of the present study aims to find out whether preferential child molesters differ from situational child molesters in terms of the level of the Big Five personality traits, self-esteem and social competence, as well as relations between them. The group of preferential molesters consisted of 55 men convicted of sexual offences against children and diagnosed with pedophilia. The group of situational molesters consisted of 50 convicts without such a diagnosis. NEO-Five-Factor Inventory, Multidimensional Self-Esteem Inventory (MSEI) and Social Competence Questionnaire (KKS) were used in the study. Significant differences between the groups were found in the dimension of agreeableness, selfassessment in terms of likability and moral selfacceptance, the general level of social competence and the competence that determines effective behaviour in intimate situations. The preferential offenders scored lower on all scales. Extraversion turned out to be the best predictor of social competence in both groups. In conclusion it turned out that except for several traits, preferential offenders do not differ significantly from one another. Such knowledge can be used in dealing with the perpetrators - both with regard to criminal offences, as well as therapeutic interactions.

Social Cognition as a Predictor of Social Competence in Children and Adolescents after Epilepsy Surgery (P2.245)

Social Cognition as a Predictor of Social Competence in Children and Adolescents after Epilepsy Surgery (P2.245)

Single-Neuron Correlates of Atypical Face Processing in Autism

People with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) show abnormal processing of faces. A range of morphometric, histological, and neuroimaging studies suggest the hypothesis that this abnormality may be linked to the amygdala. We recorded data from single neurons within the amygdalae of two rare neurosurgical patients with ASD. While basic electrophysiological response parameters were normal, there were specific and striking abnormalities in how individual facial features drove neuronal response. Compared to control patients, a population of neurons in the two ASD patients responded significantly more to the mouth, but less to the eyes. Moreover, we found a second class of face-responsive neurons for which responses to faces appeared normal. The findings confirm the amygdala's pivotal role in abnormal face processing by people with ASD at the cellular level and suggest that dysfunction may be traced to a specific subpopulation of neurons with altered selectivity for the features of faces.

Cumulative Risk, Negative Emotionality, and Emotion Regulation as Predictors of Social Competence in Transition to School: A Mediated Moderation Model

AbstractThe goals of this study were to examine the additive and interactive effects of cumulative risk and child negative emotionality on children's social competence in the transition from preschool to school and to test whether these associations were mediated by child emotion regulation within a sample of 310 low‐income, ethnically diverse boys. Multiple informants and methods were used to measure contextual risk factors and negative emotionality at the ages of 1.5 and two, emotion dysregulation at the age of 3.5, and social competence in the home at the age of five and in school at the age of six. Results indicated that the relation between cumulative risk and emotion dysregulation was amplified for children with higher levels of negative emotionality. In turn, emotion dysregulation predicted lower social competence across both the home and the school contexts. This study represents an early effort to develop an integrative model of social competence by considering joint contributions of contextual risk, negative emotionality, and emotion regulation.

P-1434 - Theory of mind impairments in suicide attempters

Deficits in social cognition, e.g. theory of mind (ToM) represent core characteristics involved in the etiology of psychopathological symptoms and an important predictor of social competence. Empirical studies indicate a deficit in theory of mind (ToM) in depressed individuals. Furthermore, Individuals who experience symptoms of depression are at increased risk for engaging in suicidal behaviors. The main aim of this study is to compare suicide attempters (SA) with non-suicide attempters (NSA) disorders i.e. matched healthy controls in measures of social cognition. Social cognition was assessed in 39 SA and 40 NSA by examining performance on Baron-Cohen's “Reading the mind in the Eyes” task (RME). Data were analyzed through Student t-test.SA Patients compared to controls demonstrate impaired decoding ability. They performed significantly worse than NSA on ToM tasks. More detailed information about the components of ToM may inform our understanding of the suicide as well as future social-cognitive based treatments. Possible differences between the suicide attempters’ psychopathology and sexuality may play an important role in clarifying the opposing results.

Personality Traits and Motivational Traits as Predictors of Social Competence. Implication for Occupational Selection Process

The paper presents original study and its findings concerning the possibility of using personality traits and motivational traits as predictors of social competence. According to the findings, motivational traits, including social anxiety and managerial and organisational interests, correlate highly with social competence in situations of social exposure and requiring self-assertion. Hence, motivational traits are highly useful predictors of social competence in both types of social situations. Moreover empirical findings point out that in order to increase the accuracy of estimating social competence both personality traits and motivational traits should be considered. Measurement of both traits estimates the level of social competence more accurately than the measurement of personality traits. Implication for occupational selection is discussed.

Early trajectories of interparental conflict and externalizing problems as predictors of social competence in preadolescence

Consistent with developmental cascade notions, the present study investigated (a) associations between trajectories of interparental conflict and early externalizing problems during childhood and (b) early trajectories of externalizing problems as a pathway by which interparental conflict impacts children's social competence in preadolescence. Participants were 235 children and their parents and teachers. Children were assessed annually for 3 years, beginning when they were in kindergarten. Parents provided reports of interparental conflict and child externalizing problems. Children's social competence (prosocial behavior, social problems) was assessed approximately 5 years later via parent and teacher reports. Results from parallel process models indicated that changes in interparental conflict were positively associated with changes in externalizing problems during childhood. Further, demonstrating pathways consistent with notions of developmental cascades, early trajectories of externalizing problems accounted for the longitudinal link between early trajectories of interparental conflict and children's social problems in preadolescence.

Engagement in After‐School Programs as a Predictor of Social Competence and Academic Performance

Using the experience sampling method, this study examined two questions related to outcomes associated with after-school programming. First, does the quality of experience in after-school programs mediate the effect of program participation on social competence and academic performance? Second, among program participants, is the difference in quality of experience when in programs versus other settings after school related to higher social competence and academic performance? Middle school students (N = 196) attending eight programs in three Midwestern states reported a total of 4,970 randomly sampled experiences in and out of after-school programs during 1 week in the fall and spring of the 2001-2002 academic year. Engagement during after-school hours partially mediated the relationship between participation in after-school programs and social competence. In addition, relative perceptions of engagement, challenge, and importance when in after-school programs compared to elsewhere after school predicted higher English and math grades. Results suggest that the quality of experiences in after-school programs may be a more important factor than quantity of experiences (i.e., dosage) in predicting positive academic outcomes.

The Importance of Language, Social, and Behavioral Skills Across Early and Later Childhood as Predictors of Social Competence With Peers

This study examined the role of language, attention/impulse control, and mother–child play in predicting later peer competence by assessing 252 children at ages 3 and 8 years. Children born term (n = 90) or preterm (n = 162) were included to examine the question of how variability in skills influenced social outcomes and whether relations were comparable for these 2 groups known to vary in development. Path analyses, which were comparable for both groups, showed that social connectedness, compliance, and noncompliance with peer requests were predicted by concurrent language skills, whereas concurrent impulsivity and inattentiveness were important for understanding frustration tolerance/flexibility with peers. Three-year language and toy play skills showed indirect influences on peer competence through direct influences on 8-year language and inattention. These results indicate that early social and language skills contribute to various aspects of later competent peer play and highlight the importance of including multiple cognitive and behavioral factors in models examining peer competence.

Individual Differences in Theory of Mind, Aggressive Behavior, and Social Skills In Young Children

Research Findings. The present study examined relations between social-cognitive skills, aggression, and social competence using teacher questionnaires and tabletop tasks with preschool and kindergarten children. It was hypothesized that the acquisition of a theory of "mind," as indexed by an understanding of false beliefs, might be related to social behavior for this age group. Overall, results indicated that both generation of forceful solutions in a traditional social-problem solving task and performance on the false belief tasks were significantly related to social competence, after controlling for the effects of age, language comprehension, and teacher ratings of aggression. In addition, theory of mind understanding was a better predictor of social competence than performance on a more traditional social information-processing task that involved the generation of alternative solutions to interpersonal problems. Practice. The implications of these findings for preschool and kindergarten peer relations and their potential relevance to treatment of deficits in social skills are discussed. Specifically, training in an understanding of counterfactual thinking (e.g., through increased and structured opportunities to engage in pretend play and storytelling) may enhance preschooler social skills.

Depression and maltreatment as predictors of social competence and social problem-solving skills in school-age children

Childhood depression and child maltreatment have been shown to be important predictors of childhood adjustment problems, including difficulties in the spheres of home, school, and peer relationships. In this study, depression and maltreatment were used to predict social competence and social problem-solving skills, as rated by self, parent, and teacher. The total sample contained 68 children (35 girls, 33 boys), most of whom were at high-risk either due to poverty, physical abuse and neglect (as determined by substantiated Protective Services reports), or exposure to negative life events. Hierarchical multivariate regression analyses were used to identify the contribution of depression and maltreatment to social competence and social problem-solving skills. Depression predicted parents' and teachers' ratings of social competence and parents' ratings of peer rejection. Additionally, depression predicted children's ratings of social competence and both measures of social problem-solving skills. Maltreatment predicted parents' and teachers' ratings of social competence. Gender predicted teachers' ratings of peer rejection and social competence. An additive effect of depression and maltreatment was found such that children who are depressed and maltreated have the lowest social competence as rated by parents and teachers. These children are, therefore. doubly at risk for problems in future relationships.

Negative symptoms and social skills performance in schizophrenia

The present study aimed to determine whether the negative symptoms of patients with schizophrenia were better predictors of social competence than a range of other variables pertaining to demographics, illness, hospitalization, and premorbid functioning. Independent raters assessed social skills performance on a video-taped role-play test and 5 min conversation in 53 inpatients with a DSM-III diagnosis of schizophrenia. Patients' social skills were also assessed by ward nurses. Project clinicians assessed depression, medication side effects and positive and negative symptoms. Multiple-regression analyses demonstrated that, generally, negative symptoms were the best predictors of social skills performance.

Children's responses to interpersonal obstacles as a predictor of social competence

Children's responses to interpersonal obstacles and the relationship of these responses to social competence were investigated using the Social Problem Situation Analysis Measure. In this procedure, children respond to standard vignettes and then have their initial response negated by the examiner. The data showed that indices of problem-solving skills instandard andobstacle situations were indeed complementary. Problem solving in response to obstacles was the strongest predictor of self-concept and teachers' ratings of studients' adjustment. Expectancies in standard situations were most predictive of behavioral problem solving and social isolation. The discussion emphasized implications for theory and research into the way in which social problem solving under obstacle conditions relates to different indices of social competence.

Correlates of social and academic competence in middle childhood.

The correlates of social and academic competence were investigated in 9-14 yr old children. Factor analysis of multiple measures of cognitive functioning, excluding IQ identified three dimensions: (1) Social Comprehension; (2) Cognitive Efficiency and (3) Divergent Thinking. The social comprehension dimension was derived from measures of humor and social cognition. Although strongly related to IQ, Social Comprehension still had a substantial unique relation to social competence in a school setting, as assessed by teachers and peers. While this dimension was the best predictor of social competence, IQ was by far the most powerful predictor of academic competence.

Dimensions of Children's Self-Concept as Predictors of Social Competence

Abstract The relationship between specific dimensions of children's self-concept and their social competence as assessed by their parents, teachers, and themselves was examined in the present study. The relative predictive power of six self-concept dimensions in predicting children's assessment of their social competence was also studied. Subjects were 253 randomly selected middle-school students in a northeastern, inner-city school system, their teachers, and their parents. Instruments used included the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale (TSCS) and the Social Competence Scale (SCS). Children completed the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale and the children's version of the Social Competence Scale. Teachers and parents completed a slightly modified version of the Social Competence Scale. A correlational analysis indicated moderately high and significant Pearson moment correlation coefficients (p < .01) between self-concept dimensions and children's ratings of their own social competence. A hierarchical stepwise multi...

The effects of private self-consciousness and perspective taking on satisfaction in close relationships.

We extended the scope of recent studies in which self-awareness and perspective taking have been used as predictors of social competence or adjustment: We analyzed their influence on the satisfaction experienced in monogamous, heterosexual relationships. Members of 131 couples answered questions concerning themselves and their relationships. We predicted that individual differences in private self-consciousness would be positively related to relationship satisfaction because of the greater self-disclosure resulting from that heightened self-attention. Second, we predicted that individual differences in perspective taking would foster relationship satisfaction, independent of any influence of self-disclosure. Both expectations were confirmed. Scores on the private self-consciousness scale were predictive of reported self-disclosure, and self-disclosure was predictive of satisfaction in the relationship. Furthermore, once the influence of self-disclosure was removed, no effect of self-consciousness on satisfaction remained. In contrast, after disclosure was controlled, perspective-taking scores were significantly related to satisfaction and were in fact unrelated to disclosure at all. These findings indicate that two personality characteristics having to do with habitual attention to behavioral tendencies, to emotions, and to motivations significantly enhance the quality of close heterosexual relationships in different ways. Results are discussed in terms of current theory in the related fields.