Exploring the Moderating Effects of Cognitive Abilities on Social Competence Intervention Outcomes

2017 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 84-107 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janine P. Stichter ◽  
Melissa J. Herzog ◽  
Stephen P. Kilgus ◽  
Alexander M. Schoemann
Keyword(s):  
Social Competence ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Rating Scales ◽  
Multilevel Models ◽  
Teacher Behavior ◽  
Significant Degree ◽  
Multiple Time ◽  
Post Intervention ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Competence Deficits

Many populations served by special education, including those identified with autism, emotional impairments, or students identified as not ready to learn, experience social competence deficits. The Social Competence Intervention-Adolescents’ (SCI-A) methods, content, and materials were designed to be maximally pertinent and applicable to the social competence needs of early adolescents (i.e., age 11-14 years) identified as having scholastic potential but experiencing significant social competence deficits. Given the importance of establishing intervention efficacy, the current paper highlights the results from a four-year cluster randomized trial (CRT) to examine the efficacy of SCI-A (n = 146 students) relative to Business As Usual (n = 123 students) school-based programming. Educational personnel delivered all programming including both intervention and BAU conditions. Student functioning was assessed across multiple time points, including pre-, mid-, and post-intervention. Outcomes of interest included social competence behaviors, which were assessed via both systematic direct observation and teacher behavior rating scales. Data were analyzed using multilevel models, with students nested within schools. Results suggested after controlling for baseline behavior and student IQ, BAU and SCI students differed to a statistically significant degree across multiple indicators of social performance. Further consideration of standardized mean difference effect sizes revealed these between-group differences to be representative of medium effects (d > .50). Such outcomes pertained to student (a) awareness of social cues and information, and (b) capacity to appropriately interact with teachers and peers. The need for additional power and the investigation of potential moderators and mediators of social competence effectiveness are explored.

scholarly journals Frequency of Recent Binge Drinking Is Associated With Sex-Specific Cognitive Deficits: Evidence for Condition-Dependent Trait Expression in Humans

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 147470492095444
Author(s):  
Liana S. E. Hone ◽  
John E. Scofield ◽  
Bruce D. Bartholow ◽  
David C. Geary
Keyword(s):  
Binge Drinking ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Social Cognitive ◽  
Multilevel Models ◽  
Cognitive Task ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Visuospatial Abilities ◽  
The Social ◽  
Binge Drinkers ◽  
Visuospatial Tasks

Evolutionary theory suggests that commonly found sex differences are largest in healthy populations and smaller in populations that have been exposed to stressors. We tested this idea in the context of men’s typical advantage (vs. women) in visuospatial abilities (e.g., mental rotation) and women’s typical advantage (vs. men) in social-cognitive (e.g., facial-expression decoding) abilities, as related to frequent binge drinking. Four hundred nineteen undergraduates classified as frequent or infrequent binge drinkers were assessed in these domains. Trial-level multilevel models were used to test a priori Sex × Group (binge drinking) interactions for visuospatial and social-cognitive tasks. Among infrequent binge drinkers, men’s typical advantage in visuospatial abilities and women’s typical advantage in social-cognitive abilities was confirmed. Among frequent binge drinkers, men’s advantage was reduced for one visuospatial task (Δ d = 0.29) and eliminated for another (Δ d = 0.75), and women’s advantage on the social-cognitive task was eliminated (Δ d = 0.12). Males who frequently engaged in extreme binges had exaggerated deficits on one of the visuospatial tasks, as did their female counterparts on the social-cognitive task. The results suggest sex-specific vulnerabilities associated with recent, frequent binge drinking, and support an evolutionary approach to the study of these vulnerabilities.

scholarly journals Academic benefit of outgroup contact for immigrant and nonimmigrant students

2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 419-433 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ralf Wölfer ◽  
Daniel H. Caro ◽  
Miles Hewstone
Keyword(s):  
Academic Achievement ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Multilevel Models ◽  
Immigrant Students ◽  
Social Network Data ◽  
The Social ◽  
Network Connectedness ◽  
Total Network ◽  
Country Specific

Based on social network theories, outgroup contact does not only improve intergroup relations, but can also facilitate the academic development of students due to the social capital and the uniquely supportive information and resources it provides. In the present study, 12,376 students (14.42 years; 50% girls; 38% immigrant students) from 591 classes across three countries (Germany, the Netherlands, and Sweden) provided information on social network data, academic achievement, socioeconomic status (SES), and cognitive ability. Social network analysis determined the intergroup network connectedness of students. As expected, country-specific multilevel models reveal a positive linear relationship between outgroup contact and academic achievement for immigrant students in all models, and a negative curvilinear (i.e., concave) relationship between outgroup contact and academic achievement for nonimmigrant students in 2 out of 3 models, while controlling for SES, cognitive abilities, and total network integration. These findings suggest the academic value of outgroup contact for immigrant students and signal its potential for nonimmigrant students.

scholarly journals Promoting Social Competence in Preschool with an Executive Functions Program Conducted by Teachers

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 4408
Author(s):  
Miriam Romero-López ◽  
M. Carmen Pichardo ◽  
Judit Bembibre-Serrano ◽  
Trinidad García-Berbén
Keyword(s):  
Social Competence ◽  
Executive Functions ◽  
Real World ◽  
Estimating Equation ◽  
Generalized Estimating Equation ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Post Intervention ◽  
The Social ◽  
Executive Function Training ◽  
Experimental Group

The objective of this research is to examine the effectiveness of the “Executive Function Training Program in Preschool” (EFE-P) that includes real-world activities and applies different required methodologies for a sustainable education. In addition, it is evaluated whether the improvement of executive functions is transferred to the social competence domain. The study involved 100 students aged 5–6 years, of which 50 were randomly assigned to the active control group and 50 to the experimental group. Executive functions (BRIEF-P) and social competence (BASC and PKBS-2) were measured at two time points (pre-intervention and post-intervention). Data were analyzed using the Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE) for repeated data and results showed that children in the experimental group obtained better scores on executive functions and social competence compared to their peers in the control group. It is discussed if the executive functions training can be effective in improving social competence as long as the programs include real-world activities that encourage such transfer, as the EFE-P does.

THE CONTENT OF THE PROCESS FRAMEWORK FOR THE SOCIAL COMPETENCE FORMATION IN SENIOR SCHOOL STUDENTS

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (97) ◽  
pp. 202-210
Author(s):  
Natalia V. Bushnaya
Keyword(s):  
Social Competence ◽  
Social Problems ◽  
Educational Environment ◽  
School Students ◽  
The Social ◽  
Process Framework ◽  
Senior Students

Social competence of senior school students serves as their integrative characteristic and acts as the result of education. The formation of social competence in senior students is realized in the school educational environment by means of solving social problems of personal, public and life-futurological content. School educational environment incorporates definite zones which act as incentives to motivate and involve students into the activity of formulating and solving social problems.

scholarly journals Integrative and Complementary Health Practices Building a New Health Paradigm

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
T Gemeli ◽  
H Silva ◽  
M Kato
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Universal Access ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Professional Service ◽  
Health It ◽  
Self Confidence ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Subject ◽  
New Perspective

Abstract This work arose from the need to broaden the therapeutic approach and offer a differentiated health intervention proposal based on the understanding that the illness process has repercussions on all integrated systems of Being. Since 2019, the Health Center for the Elderly in Blumenau (SC-Brasil), specialized multi-professional service, offering support for biopsychoenergetic transformation with the practice of Yoga and Meditation, through a holistic and comprehensive view of health. It begins with the Multidimensional Assessment of the Elderly, with a guideline in welcoming and qualified listening, which considers the subject and all subjectivity. From there, the expanded diagnosis and the Singular Therapeutic Project are built and the consultations with the team and the 'Re-Conhecer group' begin. The activity is weekly, aimed at the elderly and their family, takes place in an appropriate place and lasts two hours. Welcoming, pranayama, mantras, kriyas and meditation are made, as well as reflections on free themes. The professionals who conduct the practice are the dentist, trained in yoga, and the social worker, the welcoming process continues individually after the activity. Due to subjectivity, results are routinely collected in a qualitative way from the participants' report. There is a perception on the part of the participants, therapists and members of the multidisciplinary team that this work provides improvement in cognitive abilities, self-care, well-being, self-confidence, creativity, improved sleep, autonomy, balance, strengthening bonds, joy, vitality. Key messages This initiative builds new models of health care, transcending the traditional biomedical model, according to the operational guideline for comprehensiveness, universal access and equity. Provokes reflections and builds a new perspective of life with quality and participation of the elderly as subjects of their health.

scholarly journals Extending Geodemographics Using Data Primitives: A Review and a Methodological Proposal

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 386
Author(s):  
Jennie Gray ◽  
Lisa Buckner ◽  
Alexis Comber
Keyword(s):  
Social Dynamics ◽  
Feature Space ◽  
Social Processes ◽  
Multiple Time ◽  
Current State ◽  
Cluster Label ◽  
Static Data ◽  
The Social ◽  
Using Data

This paper reviews geodemographic classifications and developments in contemporary classifications. It develops a critique of current approaches and identifiea a number of key limitations. These include the problems associated with the geodemographic cluster label (few cluster members are typical or have the same properties as the cluster centre) and the failure of the static label to describe anything about the underlying neighbourhood processes and dynamics. To address these limitations, this paper proposed a data primitives approach. Data primitives are the fundamental dimensions or measurements that capture the processes of interest. They can be used to describe the current state of an area in a multivariate feature space, and states can be compared over multiple time periods for which data are available, through for example a change vector approach. In this way, emergent social processes, which may be too weak to result in a change in a cluster label, but are nonetheless important signals, can be captured. As states are updated (for example, as new data become available), inferences about different social processes can be made, as well as classification updates if required. State changes can also be used to determine neighbourhood trajectories and to predict or infer future states. A list of data primitives was suggested from a review of the mechanisms driving a number of neighbourhood-level social processes, with the aim of improving the wider understanding of the interaction of complex neighbourhood processes and their effects. A small case study was provided to illustrate the approach. In this way, the methods outlined in this paper suggest a more nuanced approach to geodemographic research, away from a focus on classifications and static data, towards approaches that capture the social dynamics experienced by neighbourhoods.

Reliability and Validity of the Parent form of the Social Competence Scale in Chinese Preschoolers

2012 ◽  
Vol 111 (1) ◽  
pp. 266-268 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiao Zhang ◽  
Xue Ke ◽  
Xiaoyan Wang
Keyword(s):  
Preschool Children ◽  
Social Competence ◽  
Internal Consistency ◽  
Student Teacher ◽  
Reliability And Validity ◽  
Single Dimension ◽  
Student Teacher Relationship ◽  
The Social ◽  
Competence Scale ◽  
High Internal Consistency

The Parent Form of the Social Competence Scale (SCS–PF) was translated into Chinese and validated in a sample of Chinese preschool children ( N = 443). Results confirmed a single dimension and high internal consistency in the SCS–PF. Mothers' ratings on the SCS–PF correlated moderately with teachers' ratings on the Teacher Form of the Social Competence Scale and weakly with teachers' ratings on the Student–Teacher Relationship Scale.

Increasing adolescent girls’ social competence through cognitive counseling by social workers

2021 ◽  
pp. 146801732110102
Author(s):  
Chau-kiu Cheung
Keyword(s):  
Social Competence ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Adolescent Girls ◽  
Cognitive Theory ◽  
Daily Life ◽  
Young Female ◽  
Common Basis ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Common ◽  
Lower Education

Summary Despite the common basis of cognitive theory for cognitive counseling and social competence development, no research has charted the effectiveness of the counseling in raising social competence in young female residents of the residential service. To examine the effectiveness, this study analyzed data gleaned from monthly surveys of young female residents and their social workers regarding the latter’s daily life cognitive counseling. The data consisted of 391 cases pairing the female residents and social workers in Hong Kong over 33 months. Findings The cases afforded a cross-lagged analysis showing the raising of the girl’s social competence by the worker’s cognitive counseling earlier in the previous month. In substantiating this raising, the analysis also indicated that earlier social competence did not affect the counseling. Applications The findings imply the worth of promoting the social worker’s daily life cognitive counseling to advance girl residents’ social competence. Such counseling is particularly helpful to girls with lower education, who are lower in social competence.

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