Social Skills Performance Research Articles

Pattern of brain activation during social cognitive tasks is related to social competence in siblings discordant for schizophrenia

Measures of social competence are closely related to actual community functioning in patients with schizophrenia. However, the neurobiological mechanisms underlying competence in schizophrenia are not fully understood. We hypothesized that social deficits in schizophrenia are explained, at least in part, by abnormally lateralized patterns of brain activation in response to tasks engaging social cognition, as compared to healthy individuals. We predicted such patterns would be partly heritable, and therefore affected in patients' nonpsychotic siblings as well. We used a functional magnetic resonance image paradigm to characterize brain activation induced by theory of mind tasks, and two tests of social competence, the Test of Adaptive Behavior in Schizophrenia (TABS), and the Social Skills Performance Assessment (SSPA) in siblings discordant for schizophrenia and comparable healthy controls (n = 14 per group). Healthy individuals showed the strongest correlation between social competence and activation of right hemisphere structures involved in social cognitive processing, whereas in patients, the correlation pattern was lateralized to left hemisphere areas. Unaffected siblings of patients exhibited a pattern intermediate between the other groups. These results support the hypothesis that schizophrenia may be characterized by an abnormal functioning of nondominant hemisphere structures involved in the processing of socially salient information.

The effect of language on functional capacity assessment in middle-aged and older US Latinos with schizophrenia

The U.S. Latino population is steadily increasing, prompting a need for cross-cultural outcome measures in schizophrenia research. This study examined the contribution of language to functional assessment in middle-aged Latino patients with schizophrenia by comparing 29 monolingual Spanish-speakers, 29 Latino English-speakers, and 29 non-Latino English-speakers who were matched on relevant demographic variables and who completed cognitive and functional assessments in their native language. There were no statistically significant differences between groups on the four everyday functioning variables (UCSD Performance-Based Skills Assessment [UPSA], Social Skills Performance Assessment [SSPA], Medication Management Ability Assessment [MMAA], and the Global Assessment of Functioning [GAF]). The results support the cross-linguistic and cross-cultural acceptability of these functional assessment instruments. It appears that demographic variables other than language (e.g., age, education) better explain differences in functional assessment among ethnically diverse subpopulations. Considering the influence of these other factors in addition to language on functional assessments will help ensure that measures can be appropriately interpreted among the diverse residents of the United States.

Functional Communication of Children Who Are Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing

The primary aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between language levels and communication and social function skills in young children who are deaf/hard-of-hearing. A cross-sectional design was used with participants sampled predominately from a single clinic setting. Children between 3 and 6 years of age with permanent bilateral hearing loss were enrolled in the study. All children received the Preschool Language Scales-Fifth Edition language assessment and a neurocognitive assessment using the Leiter International Performance Scale-Revised at the study visit. Communication and social function skills were measured using the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales-Second Edition (VABS-II; mean 100 ± 15) and the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI; mean 50 ± 10). Analysis included 65 children with mild to profound bilateral hearing loss (mean age 56.8 months, SD ± 14.1); 52% had hearing loss in the mild to moderate range. The mean nonverbal intelligence quotient (IQ) was 95.7 (±18.8), the mean receptive language standard score was 83.7 (±18.6), and mean expressive language standard score was 83.0 (±18.5). The mean VABS-II communication standard score was 89.1 (±17.5), and the mean PEDI social function score was 39.6 (±15.3). Both nonverbal IQ and receptive language relative to nonverbal IQ (the ratio of language to IQ) were significantly associated with communication and social functioning, explaining more than 50% of the variance in communication function scores. Children with language commensurate with their IQ had significantly higher communication and social function scores than children with language significantly lower than IQ. This finding was consistent across different levels of IQ and independent of degree of hearing loss. Even with early identification and intervention, hearing loss continues to have a life-long impact on functioning. It is important to identify when language levels are not meeting a child's capabilities in order to intervene most effectively.

EPA-0506 - Social cognition and it's correlates to functional outcomes in schizophrenia

Background Deficits in social functioning, including communication, work, social skills, and community functioning, are a defining feature of schizophrenia. Functional outcomes of schizophrenia are affected by several factors such as social cognition, neurocognition, psychopathology, and clinical outcomes. The multifaceted association among these factors and functional outcome continues to be unclear. Given the significant role of functional outcomes in schizophrenia, there has been increasing importance in factors that may underlie these outcomes. If the characteristics of these factors can be defined, interventions may be developed to improve them, which, in turn, will have a parallel impact on long term functioning and outcome. The current study examines whether social cognition, neurocognition and clinical symptoms have a relationship on functional outcomes in patients with schizophrenia. Methods 37 patients with DSM-IV schizophrenia were assessed for: Neurocognition; MCCB-MATRICS, Clinical Symptoms: PANSS, Social Cognition: MSCEIT, Emotion Recognition-40 (ER-40), Dynamic Social Cognition Battery (DSCB: Emotion Identification - Facial, Verbal and Non Verbal), Functional Outcomes: University of San Diego Performance Based Assessment (USCD-UPSA), Social Skills: Personal and Social Performance Scale (PSP). Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) employed with maximum likelihood estimation for test effects. Results The overall model fit was χ 2 =39.6, P C min / df =1.25, NFI=0.96, Tucker-Lewis index (Bentler and Bonnet nonformed fit index)=0.97, RMSEA=0.044. Regression weights of the latent variable 'Marder Negative Factor' were significant and high ( β =0.91) and a substantial amount of variance could be explained by negative symptoms, indicating that the negative factor is a reliable measure of the latent variable. In addition, the regression weights of the latent variable social cognition to the 3 indicators were moderate and significant (Emotion Recognition DSCB: β =0.77, ER-40: β =0.46, and Nonverbal Emotion Identification, β =0.44). Like social cognition, the latent variable functional assessment explained a substantial amount of variance in the latent variables of working memory (45%). Impact of social cognition on negative symptoms ( β =0.91) was greater than the direct impact of social functioning ( β =0.78) and functional assessments ( β =0.63). Conclusions This study suggests that 49% of negative symptoms could be explained by impaired social cognition and that 49% of social functioning skills could be explained by social cognition. Our findings suggest that social cognition may be an essential target to improve functional outcomes. These findings provide evidence that may help develop novel interventions.

Brief Report: Suitability of the Social Skills Performance Assessment (SSPA) for the Assessment of Social Skills in Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders

The present study aims at examining whether the 'Social Skills Performance Assessment' (SSPA; Patterson et al. in Schizophr Res 48(2-3):351-360, 2001) is a suitable performance-based measure to assess social skills in adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). For this purpose, social skills of individuals with ASD and non-ASD participants were assessed through the SSPA role plays. Results of this study suggest that the SSPA is suitable for the assessment of social skills in adults with ASD. The SSPA discriminates between individuals with ASD and non-ASD individuals, with the ASD group scoring significantly lower. Although no evidence was found for convergent validity of the SSPA in participants with ASD, divergent validity of the SSPA and interrater reliability among adults with ASD were good.

Programa de expressividade facial de emoções e habilidades sociais de crianças deficientes visuais e videntes

A expressividade facial de emocoes (EFE), tanto em termos topograficos como funcionais, e componente indispensavel no desempenho de habilidades sociais (HS). O presente estudo teve como objetivo avaliar um programa de intervencao sobre a EFE e o repertorio de habilidades sociais de tres criancas cegas, tres com baixa visao e tres videntes, conforme autoavaliacao e avaliacao de juiz, pais e professores. Com um delineamento pre e pos-teste com sujeito unico, com multiplas sondagens e replicacoes intra e entre sujeitos com diferentes graus de comprometimento visual, a intervencao foi realizada ao longo de 21 sessoes. Os resultados mostraram mudancas relevantes em termos de melhoria da EFE, bem como seu impacto sobre as classes de habilidades sociais.

Joubert syndrome: Clinical and radiological characteristics of nine patients

Background:Joubert Syndrome (JS) is a rare genetic developmental disorder, first identified in 1969. In patients with JS, certain regions of the brain (mainly cerebellar vermis and brainstem) are underdeveloped or malformed. This can lead to impaired attention, visual, spatial, motor, language and social functional skills. JS is characterized by a host of features, many of which do not occur in every patient.Aim of the Study:To spotlight and increase awareness of clinical profile and neuroimaging findings of children with Joubert syndrome.Methods:This is a retrospective case series study of patients with JS who attended the Pediatric Neurology Clinic in Aladan and Alfarawanya Hospitals in Kuwait, from September 2007 to September 2012. Clinical and radiological data were obtained from the patient medical records.Results:Cerebellar vermis hypoplasia/aplasia and apnea were present in all patients, polydactly in 3 of 16, renal problems with cysts in 5 patients and 11 of 16 had abnormal electroretinograms (ERGs). Blood investigations of organic acids, amino acids and very-long-chain fatty acid, were normal in the all the nine patients.Conclusion:JS is a rare genetic brain malformation with association of retinal dystrophy and renal abnormalities. The retinal dystrophy may be progressive. The prognosis of patients depends mainly on the degree of brain malformation.

Japanese social skills performance and adjustment in Japanese students: As contrasting group of cultural distance of interpersonal behavior in international students

Japanese social skills performance and adjustment in Japanese students: As contrasting group of cultural distance of interpersonal behavior in international students

Compensatory Cognitive Training for Psychosis

Treatments for the cognitive impairments of schizophrenia are urgently needed. We developed and tested a 12-week, group-based, manualized, compensatory cognitive training intervention targeting prospective memory, attention, learning/memory, and executive functioning. The intervention focused on compensatory strategies, such as calendar use, self-talk, note taking, and a 6-step problem-solving method, and did not require computers. In a randomized controlled trial, 69 outpatients with DSM-IV primary psychotic disorders were assigned to receive standard pharmacotherapy alone or compensatory cognitive training + standard pharmacotherapy for 12 weeks. Assessments of neuropsychological performance and functional capacity (primary outcomes) and psychiatric symptom severity, quality of life, social skills performance, cognitive insight, and self-reported everyday functioning (secondary outcomes) were administered at baseline, posttreatment, and 3-month follow-up. Data were collected between September 2003 and August 2009. Hierarchical linear modeling analyses demonstrated significant compensatory cognitive training-associated effects on attention at follow-up (P = .049), verbal memory at posttreatment and follow-up (P values ≤ .039), and functional capacity (University of California, San Diego Performance-based Skills Assessment) at follow-up (P = .004). The compensatory cognitive training group also differentially improved in negative symptom severity at posttreatment and follow-up (P values ≤ .025) and subjective quality of life at follow-up (P = .002). Compensatory cognitive training, a low-tech, brief intervention, has the potential to improve not only cognitive performance but also functional skills, negative symptoms, and self-rated quality of life in people with psychosis. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01521026.

Comparison of Social Skills Knowledge and Performance between Preschooler with and without ADHD

Comparison of Social Skills Knowledge and Performance between Preschooler with and without ADHD

Life skills programmes for chronic mental illnesses.

Most people with schizophrenia have a cyclical pattern of illness characterised by remission and relapses. The illness can reduce the ability of self-care and functioning and can lead to the illness becoming disabling. Life skills programmes, emphasising the needs associated with independent functioning, are often a part of the rehabilitation process. These programmes have been developed to enhance independent living and quality of life for people with schizophrenia. To review the effects of life skills programmes compared with standard care or other comparable therapies for people with chronic mental health problems. We searched the Cochrane Schizophrenia Group Trials Register (June 2010). We supplemented this process with handsearching and scrutiny of references. We inspected references of all included studies for further trials. We included all relevant randomised or quasi-randomised controlled trials for life skills programmes versus other comparable therapies or standard care involving people with serious mental illnesses. We extracted data independently. For dichotomous data we calculated relative risks (RR) and their 95% confidence intervals (CI) on an intention-to-treat basis, based on a random-effects model. For continuous data, we calculated mean differences (MD), again based on a random-effects model. We included seven randomised controlled trials with a total of 483 participants. These evaluated life skills programmes versus standard care, or support group. We found no significant difference in life skills performance between people given life skills training and standard care (1 RCT, n = 32, MD -1.10; 95% CI -7.82 to 5.62). Life skills training did not improve or worsen study retention (5 RCTs, n = 345, RR 1.16; 95% CI 0.40 to 3.36). We found no significant difference in PANSS positive, negative or total scores between life skills intervention and standard care. We found quality of life scores to be equivocal between participants given life skills training (1 RCT, n = 32, MD -0.02; 95% CI -0.07 to 0.03) and standard care. Life skills compared with support groups also did not reveal any significant differences in PANSS scores, quality of life, or social performance skills (1 RCT, n = 158, MD -0.90; 95% CI -3.39 to 1.59). Currently there is no good evidence to suggest life skills programmes are effective for people with chronic mental illnesses. More robust data are needed from studies that are adequately powered to determine whether life skills training is beneficial for people with chronic mental health problems.

Emotional Intelligence, Emotional Exhaustion, And Job Performance

In this paper we examined how emotional intelligence (EI) affects emotional exhaustion (burnout) resulting from emotional labor, and how emotional exhaustion influences an individual's job performance in terms of organizational commitment and job satisfaction. Partial least squares regression analyses were conducted on data from 295 retail sales employees in South Korea. Of the 4 factors identified in the EI model developed by Schutte et al. (1998) we found that 3 (appraisals of emotions, optimism, and social skills) were negatively associated with emotional exhaustion but the fourth factor of utilization of emotion showed no significant links with emotional exhaustion. Emotional exhaustion was found to be negatively related to job performance in terms of organizational commitment and job satisfaction and the mediating effect of emotional exhaustion was confirmed in the relationship between job performance and appraisals of emotions, optimism, and social skills as factors in emotional intelligence.

Base rates of social skills acquisition/performance deficits, strengths, and problem behaviors: An analysis of the Social Skills Improvement System—Rating Scales.

Base rate information is important in clinical assessment because one cannot know how unusual or typical a phenomenon is without first knowing its base rate in the population. This study empirically determined the base rates of social skills acquisition and performance deficits, social skills strengths, and problem behaviors using a nationally representative sample of children and adolescent ages 3-18 years. Using the national standardization sample of the Social Skills Improvement System--Rating Scales (N = 4,550) across 3 informants (teacher, parent, and student) and across 3 broad age groupings (3-5 years, 5-12 years, and 13-18 years), these base rates were computed. Results showed that the base rates for social skills acquisition deficits and problem behaviors are extremely low in the general population. Base rates for social skills performance deficits and social skills strengths were considerably higher, with students in the 5- to 12-year-old age group reporting fewer performance deficits and more social skills strengths than older children (13-18 years). Teachers and parents reported more performance deficits and fewer social skills strengths across all age groups than students in the 5- to 12-year-old age group. These results are discussed in terms of the utility of base rate information in clinical decision making.

Social competence and observer‐rated social functioning in bipolar disorder

Impairment in social functioning appears to be common in bipolar disorder, although estimates have been derived largely from self-report measures. We examined performance-based and observer-based ratings of social competence and functioning and assessed the contribution of symptoms and neurocognitive ability to social functioning in bipolar disorder. In this cross-sectional study, 164 subjects with bipolar disorder were administered the performance-based Social Skills Performance Assessment (SSPA), rated by an informant on the Specific Level of Functioning (SLOF)-Interpersonal subscale, received clinical ratings of depression and manic symptoms, and performed neurocognitive tests. We assessed the proportion of patients exhibiting social deficits and examined the associations between composite measures of neurocognitive ability, depression and manic symptoms, and SSPA scores with informant-rated, real-world social functioning. Mean age of the sample was 47.6 years (SD = 14.1). Subjects were experiencing, on average, mild levels of depression and minimal manic symptoms. A total of 29% exhibited norm-referenced impairment on the SSPA, and 64% registered at least one impairment on SLOF items; unemployed subjects had lower SSPA and SLOF ratings. Neurocognitive performance correlated with both performance-based and observer-rated social functioning, whereas depressive and manic symptoms correlated only with observer-rated social impairments. In multivariate models, depression was the most potent association with social functioning, and impairment in social competence (i.e., capacity) increased the strength of the relationships between depression and neurocognitive impairment and social functioning (i.e., real-world functioning). Our study confirmed the negative relationship of bipolar depression with social functioning. A subgroup of outpatients with bipolar disorder has impaired social competence, which, when present, worsened the impact of depression and cognitive impairment on social functioning.

Psychometric properties of performance-based measurements of functional capacity: Test–retest reliability, practice effects, and potential sensitivity to change

Performance-based measures of the ability to perform social and everyday living skills are being more widely used to assess functional capacity in people with serious mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Since they are also being used as outcome measures in pharmacological and cognitive remediation studies aimed at cognitive impairments in schizophrenia, understanding their measurement properties and potential sensitivity to change is important. In this study, the test–retest reliability, practice effects, and reliable change indices of two different performance-based functional capacity measures, the UCSD Performance-Based Skills Assessment (UPSA) and Social Skills Performance Assessment (SSPA) were examined over several different retest intervals in two different samples of people with schizophrenia ( n's = 238 and 116) and a healthy comparison sample ( n = 109). These psychometric properties were compared to those of a neuropsychological assessment battery. Test–retest reliabilities of the long form of the UPSA ranged from r = 63 to r = 80 over follow-up periods up to 36 months in people with schizophrenia, while brief UPSA reliabilities ranged from r = 66 to r = 81. Test–retest reliability of the NP performance scores ranged from r = 77 to r = 79. Test–retest reliabilities of the UPSA were lower in healthy controls, while NP performance was slightly more reliable. SSPA test–retest reliability was lower. Practice effect sizes ranged from .05 to .16 for the UPSA and .07 to .19 for the NP assessment in patients, with HC having more practice effects. Reliable change intervals were consistent across NP and both FC measures, indicating equal potential for detection of change. These performance-based measures of functional capacity appear to have similar potential to be sensitive to change compared to NP performance in people with schizophrenia.

LANGUAGE, ACCULTURATION, AND FUNCTIONAL CAPACITY ASSESSMENT IN SCHIZOPHRENIA

The effects of language and acculturation on measurement of functional capacity in schizophrenia are not yet fully understood. We assessed functional capacity using the UCSD Performance-Based Skills Assessment (UPSA), Social Skills Performance Assessment (SSPA), and Medication Management Ability Assessment (MMAA) in Englishspeaking (n=210) and monolingual Spanish-speaking (n=29) individuals with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders. The two groups did not differ on age, severity of positive, negative, and depressive symptoms, of Global Assessment of Functioning scores. However, the Spanish-speaking sample had less education, later age of onset of psychosis, lower Dementia Rating Scale scores, and lower dosages of antipsychotics; they were also more likely to be female, to have schizoaffective disorder (vs. schizophrenia), and to be married. The Spanish-speaking group performed better than did English speakers on theMMAA, butworse on the UPSA. The groups did not differ on the SSPA. In a multiple hierarchical regression controlling for group differences, DRS score (p<.001) and language (p=.008) predicted UPSA performance (R=.74). Within the Spanish-speaking sample, higher levels of education and acculturationwere both associatedwith better UPSA performance (rs=.61, .78, ps<.001), but did not explain variance in UPSA performance beyond that accounted for by DRS performance. These results suggest that measurement of functional skills can be strongly affected by language of test administration. Although acculturation is associated with functional capacity among monolingual Spanish-speakers with schizophrenia, it does not predict performance once cognitive performance is considered.

Functional significance of preserved affect recognition in schizophrenia

Affect recognition (AR) is a core component of social information processing; thus, it may be critical to understanding social behavior and functioning in broader aspects of daily living. Deficits in AR are well documented in schizophrenia, but there is also evidence that many individuals with schizophrenia perform AR tasks at near-normal levels. In the current study, we sought to evaluate the functional significance of AR deficits in schizophrenia by comparing subgroups with normal-range and impaired AR performance on proxy and interviewer-rated measures of real-world functioning. Schizophrenia outpatients were classified as normal-range ( N = 17) and impaired ( N = 31) based on a logistic cut point in the sample distribution of Bell-Lysaker Emotion Recognition Task (BLERT) scores, referenced to a normative sample of healthy control subjects ( N = 56). The derived schizophrenia subgroups were then compared on proxy [University of California San Diego Performance-Based Skill Assessment (UPSA), Social Skills Performance Assessment (SSPA), Medication Management Ability Assessment (MMAA)] and interviewer-rated [Quality of Life Scale (QLS), Independent Living Skills Survey (ILSS)] measures of functioning, as well as a battery of neurocognitive tests. Initial analyses indicated superior MMAA and QLS performance in the near-normal AR subgroup. Covariate analyses indicated that group differences in neurocognition fully mediated the observed associations between AR and MMAA, and attenuated the observed relationships between AR classification and QLS. These results support three main conclusions. First, AR, like many other domains of psychopathology studied in schizophrenia, is preserved in select subgroups. Second, there is a positive relationship between AR performance and functional outcome measures. Third, neurocognition appears to mediate the relationship between AR and measures of functioning.

Social Competence Intervention for Youth with Asperger Syndrome and High-functioning Autism: An Initial Investigation

Individuals with high functioning autism (HFA) or Asperger Syndrome (AS) exhibit difficulties in the knowledge or correct performance of social skills. This subgroup's social difficulties appear to be associated with deficits in three social cognition processes: theory of mind, emotion recognition and executive functioning. The current study outlines the development and initial administration of the group-based Social Competence Intervention (SCI), which targeted these deficits using cognitive behavioral principles. Across 27 students age 11-14 with a HFA/AS diagnosis, results indicated significant improvement on parent reports of social skills and executive functioning. Participants evidenced significant growth on direct assessments measuring facial expression recognition, theory of mind and problem solving. SCI appears promising, however, larger samples and application in naturalistic settings are warranted.

Evaluation of Social Interaction During Occupational Engagement

The Evaluation of Social Interaction (ESI; Fisher & Griswold, 2008) assesses a person's performance of social interaction skills in the natural context with typical social partners during any area of occupation. We used Rasch analysis of 175 observations of 128 people, ages 4-73, to examine internal scale validity, the items' skill hierarchy and intended purpose, and the ESI's ability to differentiate between people with and without disabilities. The ESI demonstrated validity for 24 of 27 skills and six intended purposes, with a hierarchy of performance. Of the observations, 95.3% demonstrated goodness of fit to the Rasch model, indicating person response validity. People without a disability demonstrated significantly higher social skills performance than those with a known disability (t= 4.468, df= 83 p= .000). The ESI has the potential to provide a quantitative assessment of social interaction performance in the natural context of a person's desired occupation and may be useful for intervention planning and outcome measurement.

Using the Evaluation of Social Interaction in a community-based program for persons with traumatic brain injury

The purpose of this study was to examine the utility of the Evaluation of Social Interaction (ESI) in a community-based program for persons with traumatic brain injury (TBI), as well as its effectiveness in measuring occupational therapy intervention. Ten people who experienced a TBI and were participating in a community-based program were a convenience sample for this study. The Occupational Therapy Intervention Process Model (OTIPM) provided the theoretical framework. The ESI provided a pre-test performance measure and also served as a guide for an eight-week occupational therapy intervention program, and as a post-test to measure intervention effectiveness. This study showed that the ESI was effective in guiding therapist intervention related to social skill performance of participants during their participation in a community-based program. As a group, the difference between pre and post ESI logit measures was also significant (t=4.977, p=0.001). The study provides initial considerations for the utility of the ESI to guide intervention related to social skill performance during daily occupations. It further documents the effectiveness of the ESI in measuring occupational therapy intervention, based on OTIPM, and supports occupational therapy services provided in a community-based program context for those living with TBI.