Social CompetenceSocial Competence

Samantha KatzSamantha Katz

Social and Personality DevelopmentSocial and Personality Development

November 4, 2004November 4, 2004

OverviewOverview

• Definition of social competenceDefinition of social competence

• Social competence at different stages of Social competence at different stages of developmentdevelopment

• How social competence is attainedHow social competence is attained

• Social Information Processing ModelSocial Information Processing Model

• Assessment of social competenceAssessment of social competence

Defining Social CompetenceDefining Social Competence

• Single biggest challenge for the literatureSingle biggest challenge for the literature

• In 1973 the Office of Child Development brought In 1973 the Office of Child Development brought together a panel of 12 experts to define this term.together a panel of 12 experts to define this term.

• They developed a list of 29 capacities/behaviors They developed a list of 29 capacities/behaviors believed to be facets of social competence believed to be facets of social competence (Anderson & (Anderson & Messick, 1974)Messick, 1974)

•Concept of self as initiating and controlling agentConcept of self as initiating and controlling agent

•Habits of personal maintenance and careHabits of personal maintenance and care

•Language SkillsLanguage Skills

•Problem Solving SkillsProblem Solving Skills

Various Definitions of Social CompetenceVarious Definitions of Social Competence

DefinitionDefinition AuthorAuthor

An organism’s capacity to interact effectively with its environmentAn organism’s capacity to interact effectively with its environment White, 1959White, 1959

The effectiveness of adequacy with which an individual is capable The effectiveness of adequacy with which an individual is capable of responding to various problematic situations which confront himof responding to various problematic situations which confront him

Goldfried & Goldfried & D’Zurilla, D’Zurilla, 19691969

An individual’s everyday effectiveness in dealing with his An individual’s everyday effectiveness in dealing with his environmentenvironment

Zigler, 1973Zigler, 1973

Productive and mutually satisfying interactions between a child Productive and mutually satisfying interactions between a child and peers or adultsand peers or adults

O’Malley, O’Malley, 19771977

The competent individual is one who is able to make use of The competent individual is one who is able to make use of environmental and personal resources to achieve a good environmental and personal resources to achieve a good developmental outcomedevelopmental outcome

Waters & Waters & Sroufe, Sroufe, 19831983

The ability to achieve personal goals in social interaction while The ability to achieve personal goals in social interaction while simultaneously maintaining positive relationships with others over simultaneously maintaining positive relationships with others over time and across settingstime and across settings

Rubin & Rubin & Rose-Rose-Krasnor, Krasnor, 19921992

Defining Social CompetenceDefining Social Competence

• Some definitions place greater emphasis on Some definitions place greater emphasis on relationships, others on skills, and others on outcomerelationships, others on skills, and others on outcome

• Commonality among the definitions:Commonality among the definitions:

Effectiveness in interactionEffectiveness in interaction

The ability to guide the behaviors and contingentThe ability to guide the behaviors and contingent responses of others to meet one’s own goals responses of others to meet one’s own goals

The ability to use environmental and personal re-The ability to use environmental and personal re-sources to achieve a good developmental outcome.sources to achieve a good developmental outcome. (Waters & Sroufe, 1983)(Waters & Sroufe, 1983)

Key advantage of this perspective: Key advantage of this perspective:

• Developmental perspective allows for great flexibility Developmental perspective allows for great flexibility while maintaining a single integrative definitionwhile maintaining a single integrative definition

• Useful for age appropriate assessment or researchUseful for age appropriate assessment or research

• Focus of adaptation rather than on specific skills Focus of adaptation rather than on specific skills

Developmental PerspectiveDevelopmental Perspective

• Need to focus on different behaviors at different ages as Need to focus on different behaviors at different ages as exemplars of social competenceexemplars of social competence

• Key question: What Develops?Key question: What Develops?

• Select issues central to each developmental periodSelect issues central to each developmental period

InfancyInfancy

• 0-3 months – physiological regulation0-3 months – physiological regulation

• 3-6 months – management of tension3-6 months – management of tension

• 6-12 months – establishing an affective 6-12 months – establishing an affective attachment relationship attachment relationship

• 12-18 months – exploration and mastery12-18 months – exploration and mastery

recognition of peers asrecognition of peers as social partners social partners

The Toddler YearsThe Toddler Years

• Individuation and autonomyIndividuation and autonomy

Flexibility, resourcefulness, and the ability to use Flexibility, resourcefulness, and the ability to use adult assistance without being overly dependent on itadult assistance without being overly dependent on it

• Complementary and reciprocal play structures with peersComplementary and reciprocal play structures with peers

• The beginning of stable friendshipsThe beginning of stable friendships

The Preschool YearsThe Preschool Years

• Impulse management and sex-role identificationImpulse management and sex-role identification

• Social knowledge of the peer groupSocial knowledge of the peer group

• Empathy, high levels of positive affect, low levels of Empathy, high levels of positive affect, low levels of negative affect negative affect (Sroufe 1983; Sroufe et al. 1981)(Sroufe 1983; Sroufe et al. 1981)

• Deal flexibly with a situation by exchanging information with Deal flexibly with a situation by exchanging information with others – initiate interaction, respond contingently to social others – initiate interaction, respond contingently to social gestures of others, refrain from overt expression of negative gestures of others, refrain from overt expression of negative behaviors behaviors (Lieberman 1977)(Lieberman 1977)

Middle ChildhoodMiddle Childhood

• Self confidenceSelf confidence

• Peer group membership and close friends Peer group membership and close friends (Elicker, (Elicker, Englund, & Sroufe, 1992)Englund, & Sroufe, 1992)

• Positive social orientation - sense of humor, Positive social orientation - sense of humor, good at helping, sharing, and taking turns, good at helping, sharing, and taking turns, friendly, and well-liked friendly, and well-liked (McDowell et al. 2002)(McDowell et al. 2002)

AdolescenceAdolescence

• Formation of intimate relationships (friendships and Formation of intimate relationships (friendships and sexual relationships)sexual relationships)

• A deeper commitment to friendshipsA deeper commitment to friendships

• Operating within a network of relationshipsOperating within a network of relationships

• Coordination of intimate relationships, within-group Coordination of intimate relationships, within-group interactions, and larger social network interactions, and larger social network (Englund et al. 2000)(Englund et al. 2000)

How Do Children Develop How Do Children Develop Social Competence?Social Competence?

Through their relationships with their parentsThrough their relationships with their parents

• AttachmentAttachment

• Emotional CompetenceEmotional Competence

Through their relationships with peersThrough their relationships with peers

Attachment and Social CompetenceAttachment and Social Competence

• Motivational BaseMotivational Base

• Attitudinal BaseAttitudinal Base

• Instrumental BaseInstrumental Base

• Emotional BaseEmotional Base

• Relational BaseRelational Base

((Sroufe, Egeland & Carlson, 1999)Sroufe, Egeland & Carlson, 1999)

Attachment and Social CompetenceAttachment and Social Competence

Studies have shown the relationship between early Studies have shown the relationship between early attachment and the social competence of children of all attachment and the social competence of children of all agesages

• Securely attached toddlers exhibited more symbolic play, Securely attached toddlers exhibited more symbolic play, were more enthusiastic, more compliant, and showed more were more enthusiastic, more compliant, and showed more positive affect than insecurely attached children positive affect than insecurely attached children (Matas et al. (Matas et al. 1978)1978)

• Quality of attachment at 15 months predicted Q-sort Quality of attachment at 15 months predicted Q-sort assessments of social competence at 3 ½ years assessments of social competence at 3 ½ years (Waters, (Waters, Wippman, & Sroufe, 1979)Wippman, & Sroufe, 1979)

• Attachment at 12 and 18 months predicted summer camp Attachment at 12 and 18 months predicted summer camp counselor evaluations of 10 year old children’s social counselor evaluations of 10 year old children’s social competence competence (Elicker, Englund, & Sroufe, 1992)(Elicker, Englund, & Sroufe, 1992)

Parenting and Emotional CompetenceParenting and Emotional Competence

• Emotional Expressiveness Emotional Expressiveness

• Emotional RegulationEmotional Regulation

• Emotional KnowledgeEmotional Knowledge

Socialization of Emotion: Modeling

Socialization of Emotion: Reactions

Socialization of Emotions: Coaching

Understanding of Emotions

Expression of Emotion

Social Competence and Emotion Regulation

Denham, 1998

Path from Emotional Competence to Path from Emotional Competence to Social CompetenceSocial Competence

Mother’s Positive

Expressivity

Mother’s Negative

Expressivity

Child’s Regulation

Child’s Externalizing

Behavior Problems

Child’s Internalizing

Behavior Problems

Child’s Social

CompetenceEisenberg et al. (2001)

Parental Role in Children’s Peer Parental Role in Children’s Peer RelationshipsRelationships

•Key method for parents to improve children’s social competency initiate peer interactions

•Leads to:

Large number of different playmates

More consistent companions in nonschool settings

Greater peer acceptance (for boys)

(Ladd & Golter, 1988)

Peer RelationshipsPeer Relationships

“Without healthy play, especially group play, human nature cannot rightly develop” (Cooley, 1909)

•Rhesus monkeys and peer deprivation

Peer RelationshipsPeer Relationships

•Peer Modeling

•Pretend Play

•Friendships

Peer ModelingPeer Modeling

•Altruism – sharing in nursery children

(Hartup& Coates, 1967)

•Aggression – aggression in preschoolers

(Hicks, 1965)

•Emotional Behavior – dog phobias in preschoolers

(Bandura, Grusec & Menlove, 1967)

Children imitate the behaviors of their peers

Pretend PlayPretend Play

•Correlation between pretend play in preschool and social competence among preschoolers (Howes & Matheson, 1992; Shin, 1995)

•Pretend Play helps children practice:

1. Out-of-play negotiations

2. Enactment of pretend episodes

(Doyle & Connolly, 1989)

FriendshipsFriendships

•Peer relationships provide:

A context for acquiring a variety of competencies

Resources for emotional support enabling exploration

Precursors for other relationships

•Among infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, children who maintained friendships over the course of a year displayed greater social competence

•The number of frequent play companions preschoolers had in the playground was positively correlated with social competence

(Price & Ladd, 1986)

Dodge’s Social Information Dodge’s Social Information Processing ModelProcessing Model

Five Steps:

1-Encode social cues

2-Mentally represent encoded cues and interpret them

3-Access or generate potential behavioral responses

4-Evaluation and decision

5-Enact the chosen response

Children are not necessarily consciously aware of moving through these steps

Reciprocal Influence Model of AggressionReciprocal Influence Model of Aggression

Ecological Input:

Values

Norms

Social Information Processing

Encoding

Deciding

Enacting

Peers’ antisocial behavior

toward child

Child’s aggression toward peer

Situational stimulus

Social Information Processing

Dislike by peer

Ecological Input

Constitutional Input

Longitudinal Outcomes

Academic failureDelinquency

Constitutional Input: Temperament Attentional limits Memory & Goals

Evaluating the Social Information Evaluating the Social Information Processing ModelProcessing Model

•Show child video of two children engaged in a difficult social situation. Ask questions that assess proficiency at each step of model

Step 3 – “Think of as many ways as possible to join the group”

Step 5 – “Could you show me how you would ask me if you could play with me?”

•Steps 1, 3, 4, 5 each predicted success uniquely

•Significant differences in information processing in children rated as high and low in social competence

Assessing Social CompetenceAssessing Social Competence (Waters and Sroufe, 1983)(Waters and Sroufe, 1983)

• Broadband versus narrow assessmentBroadband versus narrow assessment

• Real behavior versus laboratory behaviorReal behavior versus laboratory behavior

• Emphasize coordination of affect, cognition, and behaviorEmphasize coordination of affect, cognition, and behavior

• Tax behavioral and integrative capacityTax behavioral and integrative capacity

Methods for Assessing Methods for Assessing Social CompetenceSocial Competence

• Observations Observations

• Q-SortsQ-Sorts

• Peer and teacher nominationsPeer and teacher nominations

ObservationsObservations

• In infants, observe how infants act in Ainsworth’s In infants, observe how infants act in Ainsworth’s Strange Situation TaskStrange Situation Task

• Observe child during problem solving task – affect, Observe child during problem solving task – affect, verbal negativism, frustration, excessive dependence verbal negativism, frustration, excessive dependence on others, compliance with suggestions of others on others, compliance with suggestions of others (Matas et al., 1978)(Matas et al., 1978)

• Observe child during peer play – ability and Observe child during peer play – ability and willingness to interact with other, affect, chain of willingness to interact with other, affect, chain of exchanges, etc. exchanges, etc. (Lieberman, 1977)(Lieberman, 1977)

Q-SortsQ-Sorts

Items pertaining to a given construct are sorted into piles Items pertaining to a given construct are sorted into piles depending on how representative they are of a given child.depending on how representative they are of a given child.

Sample Items from Block and Block’s California Child Q-set:Sample Items from Block and Block’s California Child Q-set:

• Is admired and sought out by other childrenIs admired and sought out by other children

• Develops genuine and close relationshipsDevelops genuine and close relationships

• Is cheerfulIs cheerful

• Tends to be sulky and whinyTends to be sulky and whiny

Advantages of Q-SortsAdvantages of Q-Sorts

• Observers are unaware of the constructs that Observers are unaware of the constructs that will be evaluated from their datawill be evaluated from their data

• Response bias is reducedResponse bias is reduced

• Observers do not need to have knowledge of Observers do not need to have knowledge of norms for the itemsnorms for the items

(Waters et al.,

1985)

Peer, Teacher, and Self ReportsPeer, Teacher, and Self ReportsPeers ReportPeers Report

• Show children pictures of classmates – placeShow children pictures of classmates – place them in like a lot, kind of like, and do not like them in like a lot, kind of like, and do not like boxes boxes

Teacher ReportTeacher Report

• Social Competence and Behavior Evaluation Social Competence and Behavior Evaluation Short Form Short Form (LaFreniere & Dumas, 1996)(LaFreniere & Dumas, 1996)

• Teacher Checklist of Peer RelationsTeacher Checklist of Peer Relations (Coie & (Coie & Dodge, 1988).Dodge, 1988).

Self ReportSelf Report

• Susan Harter’s Perceived Social Competence Susan Harter’s Perceived Social Competence ScaleScale

SummarySummary

•Social competence is difficult to define

•The same construct presents itself differently at different stages of development

•Parents contribute to the development of their children’s social competence through their attachment relationship and through teaching emotional competence

•Peers contribute through modeling, pretend play, and friendships

•Social competence can be assessed through observations, Q-sorts, and parent, teacher, and self nominations

Future DirectionsFuture Directions

•Social Competence in adults

•Longitudinal studies evaluating the relationship between social competency in children and in adults

•Evaluating relationship between peer and parent influences on social competency

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ReferencesReferences

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ReviewersReviewers

Lisa Burckell

Lea Dougherty