Social Competence in Children with IDDM and Asthma: Child, Teacher, and Parent Reports of Children's Social Adjustment, Social Performance, and Social Skills

Used Cavell's (1990) model of childhood social competence tocompare the social competence in peer relations of 25 children(ages 8–10 years) with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus(IDDM), 19 children with asthma, and 24 physically healthy children.Children were individually matched for economic status, race,gender, and age. Children, their parents, and their teacherscompleted measures of children's social adjustment, social performance,and social skills in peer relations. Contrary to hypotheses,no differences between the groups of children were noted onany of the measures of social competence. Results are discussedin terms of the resiliency of children's social competence tothese chronic conditions.     

Links between mothers' and children's social competence and associations with maternal adjustment

Extended previous research on family factors related to children's social competence by examining links between 3 domains of maternal social competence (social skills, social frames, network size) and 3 domains of children's social competence (social skills, peer-rated social preference, and network size) in a sample of 78 mothers and their kindergarten children (42 girls, 36 boys). The mediational role of maternal social competence in the association between mothers' depression and interpersonal sensitivity symptoms and children's social competence was also tested. Results supported associations between all 3 domains of mothers' and children's social competence, with maternal social skills the most frequent predictor of children's social competence. Gender differences suggested that maternal social competence was more strongly related to sons' peer acceptance and daughters' social skills. A mediational model received preliminary support for girls, with maternal psychological symptoms related to girls' social competence via maternal social skills. Implications include the need for continued study of maternal social competence as a family factor related to children's peer functioning and the development of family-based interventions for young children experiencing peer problems.     

A Multiperspective Investigation of Social Competence in Children with Sickle Cell Disease

Compared the social competence and self-perceptions of 4- to8-year-old children with sickle cell disease (SCD) to a comparisongroup of healthy children. Social competence ratings were obtainedfrom multiple perspectives, including parents, teachers, andclinic staff members; children provided ratings of self-perceivedacceptance and competence. Children in the SCD group were ratedas socially competent as their peers in the comparison groupand the normative group. Differences across raters were found,however, with parents in the SCD group giving higher ratingsthan clinic staff members. No differences were revealed betweenchildren in the SCD group and the comparison group in theirself-perceptions of competence and acceptance. Implicationsfor future studies addressing the situational specificity ofsocial competence and its relevance to health care of chronicallyill children are discussed.     

Cross-informant ratings of social competence in children and adolescents

The cross-informant ratings of social competence displayed by children and adolescents were investigated in a meta-analytic study. Effect sizes from 74 studies containing the ratings of the social competence of children and adolescents from at least two different informants were included in this meta-analysis. Results indicated that studies investigating the correspondence of the child or adolescent's own report with the report of parent, teacher, or peer informants had average effect sizes that were small in magnitude. The average effect sizes of other types of cross-informant pairs (e.g., parent-teacher) were moderate in magnitude, with teachers and peers demonstrating the greatest correspondence. Potential moderators (e.g., the type of measure completed by the informants, the age and gender of the target child or adolescent, and the location of the assessment) were also examined. These results demonstrate the importance of selecting carefully informants when evaluating the social competence of children and adolescents.     

Assessing Social Dysfunction: The Contributions of Laboratory and Performance-Based Measures

Reviewed research studies in which laboratory and performance-based measures were used with success to identify problematic social interaction patterns and social skills deficits associated with poor peer relationships. However, the clinical utility of these measures remains an empirical question. In this article, social competence is conceptualized as an organizational construct, reflecting the child's capacity to integrate behavioral, cognitive, and affective skills to adapt flexibly to diverse social contexts and demands. Correspondingly, performance-based measures of social functioning that include complex social interaction stimuli and require integrative responses appear more likely to demonstrate social validity than measures focused on isolated behaviors or cognitions. Research studies are reviewed that involve observations of children in three types of analogue social situations: play groups, friendship pairs, and social-challenge situations. In addition, studies that have utilized performance-based measures to screen and evaluate children for social skills training programs are reviewed. We conclude that performance-based measures are unlikely to be useful in determining whether a child is experiencing social dysfunction but may enhance the clinical analysis of the nature of the child's social difficulties. We identify gaps in the current knowledge regarding the clinical utility of performance-based measures of social dysfunction, along with directions for future research.     

Social information-processing skills training to promote social competence and prevent aggressive behavior in the third grades

This article describes a school-based study designed to promote social competence and reduce aggressive behavior by strengthening children's skills in processing social information and regulating emotions. Three successive cohorts of 3rd graders (N = 548) from 2 schools participated. In 2000-2001, children received a routine health curriculum; in 2001-2002, students received the Making Choices: Social Problem Solving Skills for Children (MC) program; and in 2002-2003, children received MC supplemented with teacher and parent activities. Compared with children in the routine condition, children in both MC conditions were rated lower on posttest social and overt aggression and higher on social competence. Moreover, they scored significantly higher on an information-processing skills posttest. The findings suggest that prevention programs can strengthen social- emotional skills and produce changes in aggressive behavior.     

Story stem narratives of clinical and normal kindergarten children: are content and performance associated with children's social competence?

This study examined whether content and performance in story stem narratives were associated with children's social competence, and whether children's symptom levels moderated these associations. Five-year-old children from a clinically enriched Swiss sample completed eight stories (N = 187). Teachers rated children's social competence. Parents and teachers rated behavioral/emotional symptoms that were used to categorize children into clinical (n = 80), borderline (n = 31), and normal (n = 74). Controlling for gender and verbal competence, no differences were found in story responses between normal and clinical children. However, pro-social/moral and disciplinary themes, and coherence and quality of narration were significantly associated with children's social competence. The associations between narratives and social competence were prominent in the clinical children, suggesting that narrative assessments may help to identify resources on which psychotherapeutic approaches can build.     

Physiological and neurocognitive correlates of adaptive behavior in preschool among children in Head Start

This study examined physiological and neurocognitive correlates of teacherreported adaptive behavior in preschool among children in Head Start. Child physiology was assessed by cardiac vagal tone and was measured during a baseline period and during the administration of a mildly effortful cognitive task. Neurocognitive function was measured using two tasks of executive function, which require children to inhibit a prepotent response, while remembering and executing the rule for correct responding. Parents reported on aspects of child negative emotionality associated with fear and anger. Information on child receptive language ability was also collected. Although correlates of teacher-reported social competence and on-task behavior were expected to be similar, some evidence for differentiation was obtained. Results indicated that higher resting vagal tone, vagal increase during the administration of the cognitive task, and higher levels of fearful emotionality were related to higher ratings of social competence, after adjusting for levels of on-task behavior. In contrast, lower resting vagal tone, vagal suppression in response to the cognitive task, and higher levels of executive function were associated with higher teacher ratings of on-task behavior, adjusted for social competence. Implications are considered of findings for developmental relations between social and academic competence and adaptation to preschool among children in Head Start.     

Physiological and Neurocognitive Correlates of Adaptive Behavior in Preschool Among Children in Head Start

This study examined physiological and neurocognitive correlates of teacherreported adaptive behavior in preschool among children in Head Start. Child physiology was assessed by cardiac vagal tone and was measured during a baseline period and during the administration of a mildly effortful cognitive task. Neurocognitive function was measured using two tasks of executive function, which require children to inhibit a prepotent response, while remembering and executing the rule for correct responding. Parents reported on aspects of child negative emotionality associated with fear and anger. Information on child receptive language ability was also collected. Although correlates of teacher-reported social competence and on-task behavior were expected to be similar, some evidence for differentiation was obtained. Results indicated that higher resting vagal tone, vagal increase during the administration of the cognitive task, and higher levels of fearful emotionality were related to higher ratings of social competence, after adjusting for levels of on-task behavior. In contrast, lower resting vagal tone, vagal suppression in response to the cognitive task, and higher levels of executive function were associated with higher teacher ratings of on-task behavior, adjusted for social competence. Implications are considered of findings for developmental relations between social and academic competence and adaptation to preschool among children in Head Start.     

Survivors of childhood brain tumors: behavioral,emotional, and social adjustment

This paper reviews the literature on the psychological adjustment and quality of life in children who survive brain tumors. A total of 31 studies were reviewed. Findings are discussed in terms of the rates of general psychological adjustment, internalizing behavior problems, externalizing behavior problems, social competence, correlates or predictors of adjustment, and quality of life among survivors. Although these survivors appear to be at risk for compromised social competence and long-term quality of life, reports in the literature on rates of psychological adjustment in this population vary widely. Limitations in the current literature are discussed including inadequate assessment techniques, lack of appropriate comparison groups, and small sample sizes. Directions for future research are offered.     

Longitudinal Correlates of Depressive Symptoms Among Urban African American Children: II. Extension of Findings Across 3 Years

We examined the association between childhood self-reported depressive symptoms and 2 areas of child psychosocial functioning: social and cognitive competence. Urban African American children, ages 6 to 11 and their mothers (N = 177) were interviewed at 2 assessments separated by 3 years. As a test of the relations among depressive symptoms and subsequent psychosocial functioning, independent hierarchical regression analyses were performed, with mother-reported social and cognitive competence and grades at the latter assessment as dependent variables. The analyses indicated that Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) scores at the initial assessment predicted changes in mother-reported social competence from the initial assessment to the latter assessment. This study also examined the impact of an additional stressor, maternal HIV infection, on this same relation. The analyses indicated that maternal HIV infection did not moderate the relation between childhood self-reported depressive symptoms and later competence.     

Minimizing attrition in a long-term clinical trial of pediatric asthma.

BACKGROUND: Despite increased attention focused on the need to prevent patient attrition in long-term clinical trials, high dropout rates have threatened the success of numerous studies. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the disease, demographic, and psychological factors associated with missed visits and study dropout to help improve patient management in long-term clinical trials. METHODS: Predictors of attrition were examined within the Childhood Asthma Management Program (CAMP), a large, multicenter clinical trial that followed up 1,041 children with asthma for 4 to 6 years. RESULTS: Eighty-two percent of patients attended all study visits. The tendency to miss visits was increased among older children with milder asthma, lower intellectual and social competence, and more symptoms of behavioral problems and emotional distress. Forty-two patients who missed 3 or more visits in a row and did not attend the final visit were considered study dropouts; these patients at baseline had milder asthma; lower cognitive, academic, and social competence skills; and more family conflict and distress than found among participants who remained in the study. The 49 children who had erratic attendance but did not drop out also had lower intellectual and academic skills and less family social support. CONCLUSIONS: The 4% dropout rate in CAMP was lower than reported in any previous long-term asthma trial. The findings of milder disease, decreased psychological resources, and increased distress in problem-attendance patients can assist in identifying patients who are at risk for missed visits or dropout during the trial either to block their entry into the trial or to focus efforts at maintaining their attendance once enrolled in the trial.     

关于社会能力缺陷儿童干预对策的研究

目的：探索一套治疗社会能力缺陷儿童持续有效的方法。方法：抽取3—5年级有社会能力缺陷的儿童85名，分成干预组（n=45）和对照组（n=40）。运朋综合干预的方法，集中进行持续1年的干预。结果：干预1年后显效率达80％，YSR评定干预组各因子得分均澎著高于对照组。结论：综合干预对社会能力缺陷儿童持续有效，是通过各种干预方法的作用特点共同产生的效果。     

Social competence, externalizing, and internalizing behavioral adjustment from early childhood through early adolescence: developmental cascades

This study used a three-wave longitudinal design to investigate developmental cascades among social competence and externalizing and internalizing behavioral adjustment in a normative sample of 117 children seen at 4, 10, and 14 years. Children, mothers, and teachers provided data. A series of nested path analysis models was used to determine the most parsimonious and plausible cascades across the three constructs over and above their covariation at each age and stability across age. Children with lower social competence at age 4 years exhibited more externalizing and internalizing behaviors at age 10 years and more externalizing behaviors at age 14 years. Children with lower social competence at age 4 years also exhibited more internalizing behaviors at age 10 years and more internalizing behaviors at age 14 years. Children who exhibited more internalizing behaviors at age 4 years exhibited more internalizing behaviors at age 10 years and more externalizing behaviors at age 14 years. These cascades among social competence and behavioral adjustment obtained independent of child intelligence and maternal education and social desirability of responding.     

Assessment of peer neglectin the preschool years: A short-term longitudinal study

Examined concurrent and longitudinal relations between different measures of peer neglect in the preschool years. Measures of social competence included peer sociometrics, teacher ratings, and behavioral observations of peer interactions. Participants were sixty 4- to 5-year-old Caucasian boys from low-income family backgrounds. Results indicated that the stability of indicators of peer neglect and social isolation depended on the measure employed. Correlations between different measures suggested heterogeneity in patterns of social adaptation among neglected or isolated preschool children. Results are discussed emphasizing the need to rely on multiple indicators for the assessment of preschool children's social competence.     

Attachment, self-worth, and peer-group functioning in middle childhood

We evaluated links between peer-group functioning and indicators of attachment security in relation to both mother and father in middle childhood, among 73 10-year-olds (37 girls). Children's perceptions of security with both parents, coping styles with mother, and self-worth were assessed. Classmates, teachers, and mothers evaluated the participants' peer-related behavioral characteristics. Children's perceptions of security to both parents were related to others' appraisals of their social competence; perceptions of security to father were related to lower aggression. We did not find child gender effects, but children had higher security scores in relation to mother than to father. Self-worth perceptions mediated the relation between attachment and social competence.     

Cautions in using the Child Behavior Checklist: observations based on research about children with a chronic illness

The Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and the related instruments, the Teacher's Report Form (TRF) and Youth Self-Report (YSR), are frequently used in research assessing the behavioral adjustment of children. This paper describes some issues relevant to children with a chronic physical illness that should be considered when using these instruments. Salient problems include (a) possible bias in interpreting data concerning physical symptoms; (b) limited sensitivity to identify mild adjustment problems of the sort most often encountered in children with chronic physical illnesses; and (c) incomplete and potentially misleading assessment of social competence. When using these instruments investigators should also be aware of several general methodologic issues before collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data regarding children with chronic illnesses.     

福利院与普通家庭儿童学校社会行为的对比研究

目的：了解福利院儿童的学校社会行为特点，为干预提供依据。方法：选取在同一学校学习的福利院儿童31名，普通家庭儿童31名；使用美国衣阿华州立大学的Kenneth W.Merrell,Ph.D编制的《学校社会行为量表》，对实验对象的学校适应行为进行评定。结果：福利院儿童的社会能力呈现出明显低于普通家庭儿童的趋势，福利院儿童的反社会行为水平显著高于普通家庭儿童。智商，性别是影响社会能力的主要因素，而成长，年级，性别是影响反社会行为的主要因素。     

单纯性肥胖儿童社会适应能力,智商与行为问题研究

本文采用儿童适应行为评定量表和韦氏儿童智力量表对１９８例单纯性肥胖儿童进行测试。结果提示单纯性肥胖儿童社会适应能力差。突出表现为独立功能因子能力低，智商与对照组比较差别不显著（Ｐ＞０．０５）。提示应重视和加强对单纯性肥胖儿童有针对性的社会适应行为方面的教育和训练。