Social Outcomes Associated With Media Viewing Habits of Low-Income Preschool Children

Research Findings: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between preschool children's social outcomes in the classroom (including hyperactivity, aggression, and social skills) and their media viewing habits (including the amount of television they watch and whether they watch videos/movies that are rated as inappropriate for young children). The participants were 92 low-income pre-kindergarten-age children for whom we obtained parent reports of media viewing habits and teacher reports of classroom behavior. The results suggested that viewing of inappropriate content was associated with higher hyperactivity and aggression scores and a lower social skills rating, whereas the amount of viewing was not related to these classroom outcomes. Policy: There has been a great deal of focus on how both the amount and content of television viewed affects social development in middle and later childhood. These studies have helped influence the development of guidelines for parents of young children to limit media viewing. The findings from the present study suggest that school personnel and others should monitor the content of what preschoolers are watching and should educate parents about the potential impact of media viewing on children's classroom behavior.     

Development of a Pre-practicum Counseling Skills Model

This article presents a model and rationale for training specific counseling skills prior to the practicum experience. Recent research on counseling process and counselor behaviors is integrated into a pre-practicum training laboratory with the following objectives: reducing social behavior inappropriate to professional counseling, learning to tolerate and use silence as a tool, learning to listen, learning to identify feelings through verbal and nonverbal communication channels, developing a repertoire of counselor responses and counseling strategies, and developing a professional self-image. Acquisition of these skills and attitudes in a pre-practicum permits a consultation-professional model for practicum that focuses upon the accumulation of experience rather than skills.     

Practicing Social Skills Training for Young Children with Low Peer Acceptance: A Cognitive-Social Learning Model

Peer acceptance during early childhood is related to children's academic achievement, adjustment in school, and even psychological well-being in adulthood. Children who experience low peer acceptance exhibit socially inappropriate behavior patterns, which are associated with irrelevant patterns of information processing. Therefore, as a way of helping children with low peer acceptance, a cognitive-social learning model of social skills training has been used because the model focuses on cognitive changes as well as behavioral changes. Three parts of the social skills training—enhancing skill concepts, promoting skill performance, and fostering skill maintenance/generalization—are discussed. In order to be successful, a trainer should understand the training model as well as behavioral patterns of children with low peer acceptance to provide theory-based and individualized feedback to each participant.     

社交恐怖案例报告

社交恐怖症是青春期性格内向者常见的心理障碍,症状表现多种多样。除个别病例外,症状只出现在和别人在一起的时候,而独处时没有恐怖症状。本案例刘某正处于青春期,由于强烈的交往愿望和不当的交往技能相矛盾冲突引发了她强烈的紧张恐惧情绪和回避社交行为。在咨询中通过宣泄疗法、认知领悟疗法、系统脱敏疗法、家庭支持疗法的综合运用,使刘某的心理问题得到了良好的解决。事实证明,这些疗法对青春期社交恐怖症是有效的,但其基本条件是求助者的积极配合。     

Behavior Problems and Social Skills in Preschool Children: Parent-Teacher Agreement and Relations with Classroom Observations

The goals of the present investigation were to provide basic psychometric information about the use of the Preschool and Kindergarten Behavior Scales (PKBS: Merrill, 1994) with a sample of normally-developing preschool children, to assess agreement between parent and teacher ratings of children on this instrument, and to assess concurrent, criterion-related validity of these instruments in terms of their relations with observations of children's behavior in the classroom. Parents and teachers of 47 preschool children completed the scales and these children were observed naturalistically in the classroom setting. Overall, agreement between parents and teachers was modest (-.09 to .38). Cross-informant correlations were poor (-.09 to .27) for social skills, low (.15 to .36) for internalizing behaviors, and modest (.29 to .38) for externalizing behavior. Both parents and teachers rated boys as having more externalizing behavior problems than girls. Parents perceived their children to have more externalizing, and more overall, behavior problems than did teachers. In general, teacher reports, but not parent reports, were significantly associated with children's independently observed goal-directed activity, sustained attention, inappropriate behavior, peer affiliation, expressed negative affect, and proximity to a teacher in the classroom. Results argue for the clinical utility of the PKBS for teacher-report assessment of child behavior problems and social skills in the preschool years, and suggest the need for cross-contextual assessment. Also, it is clear that children's behavioral and social competence are crucial for optimal functioning in the preschool setting.     

Externalizing Problems in Head Start Children: An Ecological Exploration

The increased familial and environmental stressors affecting Head Start families over the last two decades have precipitated an escalation of mental health difficulties among participant children (Yoshikawa & Knitzer, 1997). Using an ecological framework (Bronfenbrenner, 1979). this study explored externalizing behavior problems among a group of Head Start children in a suburban county. Children were assessed for externalizing behavior problems in the home and classroom. Additionally, parents participated in interviews about a variety of ecological factors related to children's behavior problems. Almost one-quarter of the children were identified by their parents as having externalizing behavioral problems in the borderline or clinical range. Twice as many girls as boys had borderline or clinical levels of behavioral problems. Child externalizing behavior was positively associated with child internalizing behavior, parent psychological symptomatology, child temperament, family environment, and exposure to community violence. Children with parent-identified externalizing behavior did have specific social problem-solving skills deficits. Additionally, they were observed to have high levels of specific inappropriate behavior, but did not exhibit high levels of teacher-rated behavior problems. The implications of these findings for Head Start program planning are discussed.     

Externalizing Problems in Head Start Children: An Ecological Exploration

The increased familial and environmental stressors affecting Head Start families over the last two decades have precipitated an escalation of mental health difficulties among participant children (Yoshikawa & Knitzer, 1997). Using an ecological framework (Bronfenbrenner, 1979). this study explored externalizing behavior problems among a group of Head Start children in a suburban county. Children were assessed for externalizing behavior problems in the home and classroom. Additionally, parents participated in interviews about a variety of ecological factors related to children's behavior problems. Almost one-quarter of the children were identified by their parents as having externalizing behavioral problems in the borderline or clinical range. Twice as many girls as boys had borderline or clinical levels of behavioral problems. Child externalizing behavior was positively associated with child internalizing behavior, parent psychological symptomatology, child temperament, family environment, and exposure to community violence. Children with parent-identified externalizing behavior did have specific social problem-solving skills deficits. Additionally, they were observed to have high levels of specific inappropriate behavior, but did not exhibit high levels of teacher-rated behavior problems. The implications of these findings for Head Start program planning are discussed.     

The Relationship between Fathers' and Children's Communication Skills and Children's Behavior Problems: A Study of Head Start Children

This study focused on the communicative interaction of fathers with their Head Start children and the relationship of fathers' and children's communicative skills and child behavior problems early and late in the school year. The results indicate a relationship between children's communicative competence and social behavior. The structural models for externalizing and internalizing behavior confirm the hypothesis that father communication is linked to child communication skills and child communication is linked to behavior problems. The findings also suggest that children's communicative competence may have an ongoing direct effect on children's social behavior that transcends the impact that earlier social behavior has on later social behavior.     

自我管理技能训练对于减少课堂中不恰当提问行为的效应

在课堂上自我克制，控制不适当的提问，是每个儿童都要做到的，但是有些儿童缺乏自制力，分辨不出什么场合该提问，什么场合不该提。一般认为如果受到适当的训练，这种不适当的行为是会减少的，这项研究的目的就是要调查自制训练对这种不适当行为的作用，本研究采用了个案设计，具体步骤包括：确定行为定义，分析行为作用，选择适当增强物，进行行为干预，研究结果表明，采用自我记录的方法会大大减少不适当或过多的提问，文章还对如何延续和扩展经过干预后的行为进行了讨论。     

Implementing a Primary Prevention Social Skills Intervention in Urban Preschools: Factors Associated with Quality and Fidelity

RESEARCH FINDINGS: Preschool behavior problems are of increasing concern to early childhood educators. Preventive interventions are being developed, but implementation in under-resourced child care programs is challenging. This study describes the implementation of an adapted Second Step curriculum to increase children's social skills and decrease behavior problems in preschool classrooms. Teacher training/coaching, organizational supports, and procedures for sustainability are described. Measures included baseline classroom characteristics, lesson completion and fidelity, and teacher satisfaction. Teachers completed 88% of the lessons across two years. Follow-up monitoring in Year 3, once all training was terminated, found 95% of lessons were delivered with higher fidelity than the first two years. Teachers were satisfied with training, felt the curriculum improved children's social skills, and stated they would continue to use the curriculum. Lesson completion and fidelity were associated with various teacher characteristics, training attendance, classroom characteristics, teacher and child turnover, and the percent of children with developmental delays in the classroom. PRACTICE: Results support the implementation strategy and suggest that paying attention to teacher morale, general skill development, and a period of on-going support for training is important and will lead to sustainable and high implementation rates.     

The relation between stressful life events and adjustment in elementary school children: the role of social support and social problem-solving skills

This study investigated the relation between stressful life events and adjustment in elementary school children, with particular emphasis on the potential main and stress-buffering effects of social support and social problem-solving skills. Third through fifth graders (N = 361) completed social support and social problem-solving measures. Their parents provided ratings of stress in the child's environment and ratings of the child's behavioral adjustment. Teachers provided ratings of the children's behavioral and academic adjustment. Hierarchical multiple regressions revealed significant stress-buffering effects for social support and problem-solving skills on teacher-rated behavior problems, that is, higher levels of social support and problem-solving skills moderated the relation between stressful life events and behavior problems. A similar stress-buffering effect was found for problem-solving skills on grade-point average and parent-rated behavior problems. In terms of children's competent behaviors, analyses supported a main effect model of social support and problem-solving. Possible processes accounting for the main and stress-buffering effects are discussed.     

Assessment of Children's Social Skills: Recent Developments,Best Practices,and New Directions

This article provides an overview of some of the recent developments in assessing social skills of children and youth, as well as a discussion of "best practices" in conducting assessment and linking assessment to effective intervention. Naturalistic behavioral observation and behavior rating scales are proposed as the 2 assessment methods that should be considered primary or "first-line" choices for social skills assessment. A review of some specific tools that have been developed within these 2 assessment methods is provided. Interviewing and sociometric techniques, although not necessarily primary methods of assessment for children's social skills, sometimes may be an important part of an assessment design, or "second-line" choices. Projective-expressive techniques or objective self-report instruments for assessing children's social skills sometimes may help illuminate the overall assessment results but should never be used as primary assessment methods for social skills; thus, these methods are considered "third-line" methods for this purpose. Six best-practices recommendations, all of which are supported by previous empirical research, are offered for improving social skills assessment efforts. Finally, conclusions are drawn regarding the current state of the art in social skills assessment, as well as implications for future directions in this area. Clearly, the challenge facing researchers and practitioners who are concerned with this area will be to make assessment "functional" and link it to intervention more effectively.     

Maternal child-rearing styles and the social skills of learning disabled boys: A preliminary investigation

The etiology of social relationship deficits exhibited by some learning disabled children is unclear. This study represents an attempt to explore the extent to which certain aspects of maternal behavior are associated with certain social skills of their learning disabled sons. The study was done in two parts. First, the authors assembled an instrument to study dimensions of maternal behavior which appear to influence the development of children's social skills. This interview/observation schedule, the Home Environmental Process Inventory (HEPI), was administered in 15 homes. Next, two measures of social skills, role taking and interpersonal problem solving, were administered to each learning disabled child in each of those homes. The data were analyzed using correlational techniques. Some maternal behaviors, such as Press for Other-Centered Expectation, correlated highly with children's scores on the social measures.     

1-6年级聋生与普通学生学校社会行为的比较研究

本研究旨在比较 1- 6年级聋生和普通学生学校社会行为水平的差异及差异的程度。结果发现 :聋生与普通学生在社会能力上差异不显著 ,但聋生的社会交往技能、自我管理技能、学业技能的平均得分均低于普通学生。在反社会行为表现上 ,聋生的得分显著低于普通学生     

Implementing a Primary Prevention Social Skills Intervention in Urban Preschools: Factors Associated with Quality and Fidelity

Research Findings: Preschool behavior problems are of increasing concern to early childhood educators. Preventive interventions are being developed, but implementation in underresourced child care programs is challenging. This study describes the implementation of an adapted Second Step curriculum to increase children's social skills and decrease behavior problems in preschool classrooms. Teacher training/coaching, organizational supports, and procedures for sustainability are described. Measures included baseline classroom characteristics, lesson completion and fidelity, and teacher satisfaction. Teachers completed 88% of the lessons across 2 years. Follow-up monitoring in Year 3, once all training was terminated, found that 95% of lessons were delivered with higher fidelity than in the first 2 years. Teachers were satisfied with the training, felt that the curriculum improved children's social skills, and stated that they would continue to use the curriculum. Lesson completion and fidelity were associated with various teacher characteristics, training attendance, classroom characteristics, teacher and child turnover, and the percentage of children with developmental delays in the classroom. Practice or Policy: The results support the implementation strategy and suggest that paying attention to teacher morale, general skill development, and a period of ongoing support for training is important and will lead to sustainable and high implementation rates.     

Teachers' perspectives on student problematic behavior and social skills

This study examined program outcomes of student problem behavior and social skills, based on teachers' perspectives, before and after early behavioral intervention services. The study targeted students in kindergarten through grade 5 who were identified by the school system as being at risk for emotional and behavioral disorders. Students identified received early intervention services based on individualized positive behavior supports (i.e. social skills training, functional behavioral assessment, and team collaboration). The results indicate that early intervention services that teach social skills and use functional behavioral assessments to deal with problem behaviors are beneficial to children displaying behavioral challenges.     

Cardiac vagal regulation and early peer status

A sample of 341 5 (1/2) -year-old children participating in an ongoing longitudinal study was the focus of a study on the relation between cardiac vagal regulation and peer status. To assess cardiac vagal regulation, resting measures of respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) and RSA change (suppression) to 3 cognitively and emotionally challenging tasks were derived. Results indicated that vagal regulation was positively associated with peer status. In addition, mediational analyses revealed that the relation between vagal regulation and peer status was mediated through better social skills for girls and better social skills and fewer behavior problems for boys. These findings are discussed in terms of the role of vagal regulation in the facilitation of children's positive social behavior.     

The “least intrusive intervention” strategy for behavior change procedures: The use of public and private feedback in school classrooms

Many classroom behavior modification procedures have failed to be adopted by practicing classroom teachers because the procedures are overly intrusive into the regular classroom routine. A strategy for teachers and consultants which moves from less to more intrusive interventions is described and demonstrated with a case example. Private feedback was ineffective in reducing a child's inappropriate behavior, but the introduction of public feedback resulted in a decrease in inappropriate behavior to below the class average. Attitudinal measures of the teacher's evaluation of the child and his selfevaluation were related to the child's behavior during the public feedback procedure.     

A Promise Unfulfilled: Social Skills Training With At-Risk and Antisocial Children and Youth

Antisocial behavior exhibited by children and youth has been an issue of concern for societies throughout history. Events of recent years in the United States (e.g., school shootings, increases in criminal adjudication among children and youth, escalation in violent behavior within this age group) have galvanized public concern and raised antisocial behavior among children and youth to a national health care issue. The purpose of this article is to briefly review the social skills training knowledge base and describe social skills training considerations for at-risk and antisocial children and youth at 3 grade levels: (a) preschool and elementary, (b) middle school, and (c) high school. Characteristics of students, composition of model social skills interventions, and, where possible, efficacy data are reviewed and discussed. We conclude the article by discussing recommendations for future research in this area.     

Fidelity of Problem Solving in Everyday Practice: Typical Training May Miss the Mark

Social skills training interventions have been used extensively for remediating interpersonal deficits of children and adolescents. These interventions represent an essential component of school curricula for at-risk and handicapped students, and have been incorporated into treatment programs for youngsters receiving services in psychiatric hospitals or clinics, residential facilities, and correctional institutions. As the degree of specialized knowledge necessary to effectively implement social skills training programs increases, the need for consultation services becomes more acute. Specific functional relationships among child characteristics, target behaviors, and interventions, for instance, must be analyzed with respect to ecological parameters and constraints. In this article, I discuss the use of consultation for conceptualizing and implementing social skills training with youngsters. Integrating consultation into social skills training requires developing a dynamic and collaborative relationship with practitioners. Current issues and misconceptions pertinent to social skills training are proffered in order to enhance consultant's role as problem solver and to ensure treatment integrity. This article also delineates the nexus among assessment information, target behavior selection, and intervention factors that are considered essential for providing comprehensive and effective social skills training.