Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-tf8b9 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-24T23:46:22.521Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Social skills training: where are we going?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 February 2016

Helen McGrath
Helen McGrath*
Affiliation:
Faculty of Education, Deakin University
Get access

Extract

This paper looks at social skills intervention programs for students. The arguments and research evidence for teaching social skills are discussed as well as the issue of which social skills should be taught. Conclusions are drawn about the most effective kind of intervention programs and arguments are presented for educational psychologist to work in collaboration with teachers to present social skills programs. The issue of peer reputations is discussed.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Psychologists and Counsellors in Schools , Volume 6 , Issue S1: ‘Teaching Prosocial Behaviour to Adolescents’ a Special Edition of the Australian Journal of" Guidance and Counselling , May 1996 , pp. 25 - 44
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1996

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Asarnow, J.R. & Callan, J.W. (1985). Boys with peer adjustment problems: Special cognitive processes. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 53, 80–87.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Asher, S.R. (1983). Social competence and peer status: Recent advances and future directions. Child Development, 54, 1427–1434.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Asher, S.R. and Renshaw, R.D. (1981). Children without friends: social knowledge and social skills training. In Asher, S.R. and Gottman, J.M., (Eds.) The Development of Children's Friendships (273–296) New York: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Asher, S.R. & Taylor, A.R. (1981). Social outcomes of mainstreaming: Sociometric assessment and beyond. Exceptional Education Quarterly, 1 (4), 13–30.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ballard, M., Corman, L., Gottlieb, J., & Kauffman, M.J. (1977). Improving the status of mainstream retarded children. Journal of Educational Psychology, 69, 605–611.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Battistich, V., Solomon, D., Watson, M., Solomon, J., & Schaps, E. (1989). Effects of an elementary school program to enhance prosocial behaviour on children's cognitive-social problem-solving skills and strategies. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 10, 147–169.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bierman, K.L. (1986). Process of change during social skills training with preadolescents and its relation to treatment outcome. Child Development, 57, 230–240.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Blechman, E., McEnroe, M.J., Carella, E.T., & Audette, D.D. (1986). Childhood competence and depression. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 95 (3), 223–237.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Butler, L.J. (1984) Preadolescent children's differential processing of social information in the peer group. Waterloo: Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Waterloo.Google Scholar
Cartledge, G., & Milburn, J.F. (Eds.) (1980). Teaching social skills to children: Innovative approaches. New York: Pergamon.Google Scholar
Coie, J.D. (1985). Fitting social skills intervention to the target group. In Schneider, B.H., Rubin, K.H. & Ledingham, J.E. (Eds.), Children's peer relations: Issues in assessment and intervention, (141–156). New York: Springer-Verlag.Google Scholar
Coie, J.D. & Dodge, K.A. (1983). Continuities and changes in children's social status: A five-year longitudinal study. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 29, 261–282.Google Scholar
Coie, J.D., & Krehbiel, G. (1984). Effects of academic tutoring on the social status of low-achieving rejected children. Child Development, 55, 1465–1478.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Coie, J.D., & Kupersmidt, J. (1983). A behavioural analysis of emerging social status in boys' groups. Child Development, 54, 140–1416.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Coleman, J.S. (1961). Social Climates in High Schools. Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office.Google Scholar
Cowen, E.L., Pederson, A., Babigan, H., Izzo, L.D., & Trost, M.A. (1973). A long-term follow-up of early detected vulnerable children. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 41, 438–446.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Department of Education for Northern Ireland (1987). Report of the working party on discipline in schools in Northern Ireland, HMSO, Belfast.Google Scholar
Dodge, K.A. (1983). Behavioural antecedents of peer social status. Child Development, 54, 1386–1399.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dodge, K.A., Coie, J.D., & Brakke, N.P. (1982a). Behavioural patterns of socially rejected and neglected preadolescents: The roles of social approach and aggresion. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 10, 389–409.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dodge, K.A., Coie, J.D., & Brakke, N.P. (1982b). Peer status and aggression: Developmental contextual analyses. Paper presented at the biennial meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, Baltimore.Google Scholar
Dodge, K.A., McClaskey, C.L., & Feldman, E. (1985). A situational approach to the assessment of social competence in children. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 53, (8), 344–353.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dodge, K.A., Schlundt, D.G., Schocken, I., & Delugach, J.D. (1983). Social competence and children's sociometric status: The role of peer group entry strategies. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 29, 309–336.Google Scholar
Doise, W., & Mugny, G. (1981). Le dévelopment social de L'intelligence. Paris: Inter EditionsGoogle Scholar
DSMIV (1994), Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. American Psychiatric Association.Google Scholar
Elliott, S.N., & Busse, R.T. (1991). Social skills assessment and intervention with children and adolescents, School Psychology International, 12, 68–83.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Epstein, J.L. (1986). Choice of friends over the life-span: Developmental and environmental influences. In Mueller, E.C. & Cooper, C.R. (Eds.), Process and Outcome in Peer Relations. (129–160). New York: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Eron, L.D. & Huesmann, L.R. (1983). Stability of Aggressive Behaviour. Paper presented at the Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development. (Detroit, April 21-23, 1983).Google Scholar
Furman, W. (1984). Enhancing children's peer relations and friendships. In Duck, S. (Ed.), Personal relationships 5: Repairing personal relationships, (103–126), London: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Gottman, J., Gonso, J., & Schuler, P. (1976). Teaching social skills to isolated children. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 4, 179–197.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gresham, F.M. (1985). Utility of cognitive behavioural procedures for social skills training with children: A review. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 13, 411–423.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gresham, F.M. (1986). Conceptual and definitional issues in the assessment of children's social skills: Implications for classification and training. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 14, 16–25.Google Scholar
Gresham, F.M. (1988). Social skills: Conceptual and applied aspects of assessment, training and social validation. In Witt, J.C., Elliott, S.N., & Gresham, F.M., Handbook of Behaviour Therapy in Education, (523–546). New York: Plenum Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gresham, F.M., & Reschly, D.J. (1987). Sociometric differences between mildly handicapped and non handicapped black and white students. Journal of Educational Psychology, 79, 195–197.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hartup, W.W. (1983). Peer relations. In Hetherington, E.M. (Ed.), Handbook of child psychology: Vol 4. Socialisation, personality and social development (4th Ed.) (103–196). New York: John Wiley.Google Scholar
Hawkins, J.D., & Weiss, J.G. (1983). The social development model: An integrated approach to delinquency prevention. In Rubel, R.J. (Ed.), Juvenile delinquency prevention: Emerging perspectives of the 1980s. San Marcos, TS: Institute of Criminal Justice Studies, South West Texas State University.Google Scholar
Hill, T. (1989a). Promoting social competence at preschool: the implications of a cooperative games program. Australian Journal of Early Childhood, 14 (4), 11–16.Google Scholar
Hoover, J.H., Oliver, R., & Hazier, R.J. (1992). Perceptions of adolescent victims in the Midwestern U.S.A. School Psychology International, 13, (1), 5–16.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hops, H. (1982). Social skills training for socially isolated children. In Karoly, P. & Steffen, J.J. (Eds.), Improving children's competence: Advances in child behavioural analysis and therapy. (Volume 1), (39–97). Toronto: Lexington Books.Google Scholar
Hops, H., & Greenwood, C.R. (1981). Social skills deficits. In Mash, E.R. & Terdal, L. G. (Eds.), Behavioural assessment of childhood disorders (347–394). New York: Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Hops, H., & Greenwood, C.R. (1988). Social skills deficits. In Mash, E.R. & Terdal, L. G. (Eds.), Behavioural assessment of childhood disorders (2nd Ed.) (264–314). New York: Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Hundert, J. & Houghton, A. (1992). Promoting social interaction of children with disabilities in integrated preschools: A failure to generalise. Exceptional Children, 58 (4), 311–320.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hymel, S. (1986). Interpretations of peer behaviour: Affective bias in childhood and adolescence. Child Development, 58, 431–445.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hymel, S., & Asher, S.R. (1977). Assessment and training of isolated children's social skills. Paper presented at the biennial meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, New Orleans. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 136930).Google Scholar
Hymel, S., Woody, E., & Bowker, A. (1993). Social withdrawal in childhood: Considering the child's perspective. In Rubin, K.H. & Asendorph, J.B. (Eds.), Social withdrawal, inhibition and shyness in childhood, (237–262). Hillsdale: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.Google Scholar
Hymel, S., Woody, E., Ditner, E., & LeMare, L. (1988). Children's self perceptions in different domains: Are children consistent across measures, do they see what others see? Paper presented at the biennial University of Waterloo Conference on Child Development, Waterloo, Ontario.Google Scholar
Jacobsen, R.H., Lahey, B.B. & Strauss, C.C. (1983). Correlates of depressed mood in normal children. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 11, 29–40.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Johnson, D.W. (1980). Group processes: Influence of student - student interaction on school outcomes. In McMillan, J. (Ed.), Social psychology of school learning, (123–168). New York: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Johnson, D.W., Maruyama, G., Johnson, R., Nelson, D., & Skon, L. (1981). Effects of cooperative, competitive and individualistic goal structures on achievement: A meta analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 89, 47–62.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Johnston, D.W. & Johnson, R.T. (1980). Promoting constructive student-student relations through cooperative learning. Minnesota: National Support Systems Project.Google Scholar
Kagan, J. (1989). Unstable ideas: Temperament, cognition, self. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.Google Scholar
Kohn, M. (1977). Social competence, symptoms and underlying achievement in childhood: A longitudinal perspective. Washington, DC: V.H. Wilson.Google Scholar
Kohn, M., & Rosman, B.L. (197). A social competence scale and symptom checklist for the preschool child: Factor dimensions, their cross-instrument generality and longitudinal persistence. Developmental Psychology, 6, 430–444.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kupersmidt, J.B., & Coie, J.D. (1990). Preadolescent peer status, aggression, and school adjustment as predictors of externalising problems in adolescence. Child Development, 61, 1350–1362.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ladd, G.W., & Asher, S.R. (1985). Social skill training and children's peer relations. In L'Abate, L. & Milan, M. (Eds.). Handbook of social skills training and research, (219–244). New York: John Wiley.Google Scholar
Lefkowitz, M.M. & Tesiny, E.P. (1980). Assessment of childhood depression. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 48, 43–50.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Marchione, K., Michelson, L., & Mannarino, A. (1983). Behavioural, cognitive, combined treatments for socially maladjusted school children. Unpublished manuscript, University of Pittsburgh.Google Scholar
McGrath, H. & Francey, S. (1991). Friendly kids, friendly classrooms. Melbourne: Longman Cheshire.Google Scholar
McGrath, H. & Noble, T. (1995). Seven Ways at Once: Book One: Classroom strategies based on the seven intelligences. Melbourne: Longman Australia.Google Scholar
McGrath, H. & Noble, T. (1993). Different kids, same classroom. Melbourne: Longman Cheshire.Google Scholar
McGrath, H. & Noble, T. (1995). Seven Ways at Once: Book Two: Units of work based on the seven intelligences. Melbourne: Longman Australia.Google Scholar
McGrath, H. (1996a). Dirty tricks. Classroom games which teach students social skills. Melbourne: Addison Wesley Longman.Google Scholar
McGrath, H. (1996b). An evaluation of whole class social skills programs. Unpublished doctoral thesis. Melbourne: Monash University.Google Scholar
Mesch, D., Lew, M., Johnson, D., & Johnson, R. (1986). Positive interdependence, academic and collaborative skills, group contingencies and isolated students. American Educational Research Journal, 23 (3), 476–488.Google Scholar
Michelson, L., & Mannarino, A.T. (1986). Social skills training with children: Research clinical application. In Strain, P.S., Guralnick, J.M, & Walker, H (Eds.), Children's social behaviour: Development, assessment, modification. New York: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Newcomb, A.F., & Bukowski, W.M. (1983). Social impact and social preference as determinants of children's peer group status. Developmental Psychology, 19, 856–867.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Newcomb, A.S., & Ragosch, F.A. (1982). The influence of social reputation on the social relations of rejected and isolated children. Unpublished manuscript. Michigan State University.Google Scholar
O'Moore, A., & Hillery, B. (1989). Bullying in Dublin Schools. Irish Journal of Psychology, 10 (3), 426–441.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Olweus, D. (1991). Bully/victim problems among school children: Basic facts and effects of a school-based intervention program. In Rubin, K. & Pepler, D. (Eds.). The development and treatment of childhood aggression, (411–448). Hillside, N.J: Erlbaum.Google Scholar
Orlick, T. (1981a). Cooperative play socialisation among preschool children. Journal of Individual Psychology, 37, 54–63.Google Scholar
Orlick, R. (1981b). Positive socialisation via cooperative games. Developmental Psychology, 17, 426–429.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Parker, J.G. & Asher, S.R. (1987). Peer relations and later personal adjustment: Are low-accepted children at risk? Psychological Bulletin, 102 (3), 357–389.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Perry, D.G., Kusel, S.J., & Perry, L.C. (1988). Victims of peer aggression. Developmental Psychology, 24, 807–904.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Putallaz, M. (1983). Predicting children's sociometric status from their behaviour. Child Development, 54, 1417–1426.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Putallaz, M., & Gotrman, J. (1982). Conceptualising social competence in children. In Karoly, P. & Steffen, J.J. (Eds.), Improving children's competence: Advances in child behavioural analysis and theory, (volume 1) (1–38). Toronto: Lexington Books.Google Scholar
Rigby, K. & Slee, P.T. (1991). Bullying among Australian school children: Reported behaviour and attitudes. Journal of Social Psychology, 131 (5), 615–627.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sapon-Shevin, M. (1994). Playing favourites: Gifted education and the disruption of the community. New York: State University of New York Press.Google Scholar
Schneider, B.H. (1993). Children's social competence in context. New York: Pergamon Press.Google Scholar
Schneider, B.H., & Byrne, B.M. (1985). Children's social skills training: A metaanalysis. In Schneider, B.H., Rubin, K.H. & Ledingham, J.E. (Eds.), Children's peer relations: Issues in assessment and peer intervention, (175–190). New York: Springer-Verlag.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Slavin, R.E. (1983). When does cooperative learning increase student achievement? Psychological Bulletin, 94, 429–445.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Slavin, R.E. (1987). Cooperative learning and the cooperative school. Educational Leadership, 45 (3), 7–13.Google Scholar
Slavin, R.E. (1990). Cooperative learning: Theory, research and practice. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.Google Scholar
Strain, P., Cooke, T., & Apolloni, T. (1976). Teaching exceptional children: Assessing and modifying social behaviour. New York: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Strain, P.S., Shores, R.E., & Kerr, M.A. (1976). An experimental analysis of spillover effects on social interactions of behaviourally handicapped preschool children. Journal of Applied Behaviour Analysis, 9, 31–40.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Vosk, R., Forehand, R., Parker, J.B., & Rickard, K. (1982). Amultimethod comparison of popular and unpopular children. Developmental Psychology, 18, 571–575.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Waas, G.A., & Honer, S.A. (1990). Situational attribution and dispositional inferences: The development of peer reputation. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly. 36 (2), 239–260.Google Scholar
Wagner, E. (1986). Bias in preadolescent children's responses to ambiguous social information about peers. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. Waterloo University.Google Scholar
Weissberg, R.P., & Allen, J.P. (1986). Promoting children's social skills adaptive interpersonal behaviour. In Edelstein, B.A., Michelson, L., Handbook of prevention, (153–175). New York: Plenum Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Witt, J.C., & Elliott, S.N. (1985). Acceptability of classroom intervention strategies. In Kratochwill, T.R. (Ed.), Advances in school psychology, (volume 4), (251–288). Hillsdale:Google Scholar