Alle Publikationen
2018
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(2018): Validating a Culturally-sensitive Social Competence Training Programme for Adolescents with ASD in a Chinese Context: An Initial Investigation. In: JOURNAL OF AUTISM AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS 48 (2), S. 450-460
Abstract: Previous studies on social skills training on ASD were done almost exclusively in the West with children as the main subjects. Demonstrations of the applicability of social interventions in different cultures and age groups are warranted. The current study outlined the development and preliminary evaluation of a CBT-context-based social competence training for ASD (CBT-CSCA) developed in Hong Kong for Chinese adolescents with ASD. Twenty-five adolescents (aged 12-17 years, with a FSIQ above 80) were recruited. Significant improvements in social competence, autistic symptoms and general psychopathology at post-training and 3-month follow-up were reported by the parents. The study provided initial evidence support to the applicability of social competence training for adolescents with ASD in a different culture.
2017
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(2017): Accelerating Progress. A New Era of Research on Character Development. In: Journal of youth and adolescence 46 (6), S. 1240-1245. DOI: 10.1007/s10964-017-0681-9
DOI: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28470439 Abstract: Adolescent character development is a high priority for educators, policymakers, and front-line youth workers. To meet this growing demand, and as exemplified in the five articles in this special section, character development scholars are drawing from a range of academic disciplines to push beyond the traditional boundaries of the science of character development. These articles highlight important trends in character research, including the co-development of a subset of character strengths, the articulation of developmental trajectories of character, the use of advanced methodological approaches, and the implications for education. Studies such as these are critically important for establishing the research base that will be used to design the character development programs of tomorrow. Adolescent character development is a high priority for educators, policymakers, and front-line youth workers. To meet this growing demand, and as exemplified in the five articles in this special section, character development scholars are drawing from a range of academic disciplines to push beyond the traditional boundaries of the science of character development. These articles highlight important trends in character research, including the co-development of a subset of character strengths, the articulation of developmental trajectories of character, the use of advanced methodological approaches, and the implications for education. Studies such as these are critically important for establishing the research base that will be used to design the character development programs of tomorrow.
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(2017): From dictators to avatars. Furthering social and personality psychology through game methods. In: Social and Personality Psychology Compass 11 (12). DOI: 10.1111/spc3.12368
Abstract: From football to the ultimatum game to chess to World of Warcraft, games have been used in social and personality psychology research for decades. Games are a unique and powerful method: They are engaging and have the potential to both manipulate and measure psychological constructs. In fact, researchers have used physical games, board games, behavioral economics games, and digital games to study a range of individual differences, interpersonal processes, and social cognitive processes. Furthermore, researchers have the opportunity to create their own games that can be targeted directly toward their topic of interest. Our review provides a primer for social and personality psychologists interested in using existing games or creating new games for their research as a method for understanding attitudes, behaviors, emotions, cognitions, and perceptions.
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(2017): The future of social cognition. Paradigms, concepts and experiments. In: Synthese 194 (3), S. 655-672. DOI: 10.1007/s11229-016-1162-5
Abstract: Since the publication of Premack and Woodruff's classic paper introducing the notion of a 'theory of mind' (Premack and Woodruff in Behav Brain Sci 1(4):515-526, 1978), interdisciplinary research in social cognition has witnessed the development of theory-theory, simulation theory, hybrid approaches, and most recently interactionist and perceptual accounts of other minds. The challenges that these various approaches present for each other and for research in social cognition range from adequately defining central concepts to designing experimental paradigms for testing empirical hypotheses. But is there any approach that promises to dominate future interdisciplinary research in social cognition? Is social cognition witnessing a gradual paradigm shift where hitherto grounding notions such as theory of mind are no longer viewed as explanatorily necessary? Or have we simply lost our way in attempting to devise adequate experimental setups that could sway the debate in favour of one of the contending accounts? This special issue addresses these questions in an attempt to discover what the future holds for interdisciplinary research in social cognition.
Keywords: adequate social interaction, deutsche Community, Disziplin, Erkenntnistheorie, Kognitive Skills/Social Cognition, Philosophie, philosophy of mind, Postkasten, Psychologie, Social Cognition, Soziale Angemessenheit, soziale Kognition, Überblick, Voraussetzungen für sozial angemessenes Verhalten -
(2017): Efficacy of an individualized social competence training for children with Oppositional Defiant Disorders/Conduct Disorders. In: Psychotherapy research : journal of the Society for Psychotherapy Research 27 (3), S. 326-337. DOI: 10.1080/10503307.2015.1094587
DOI: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26522864 Abstract: OBJECTIVES Group-based Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy of children with aggressive behavior has resulted in significant reductions of behavior problems with small to medium effect sizes. We report the efficacy of an individualized Treatment Program for Children with Aggressive Behavior. METHOD A within-subject design with two phases (waiting, treatment) was chosen. Sixty boys aged 6-12 years with peer-related aggressive behavior were included. The course of the outcome measures (growth rates) during a 6-week waiting phase was compared with those in the subsequent treatment phase (24 weekly child sessions together with an average of 8 parent contacts) by multilevel modeling. Primary outcome was peer-related aggressive behavior rated by parents. Further outcome measures included parent ratings and patient self-reports of aggressive and prosocial behavior. RESULTS During the treatment, growth rates for all parent-rated outcome measures were significant (p < .001) and comparison with the waiting phase indicated a stronger decrease in aggressive behavior and a stronger increase in prosocial behavior. For all self-rated outcome measures, growth rates during the treatment were significant (p < .01), but comparison with the waiting phase indicated a stronger decrease only for disturbance of social interaction. CONCLUSIONS The treatment program is an effective intervention for children with peer-related aggressive behavior.
Keywords: Aggression, Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behaviour, Child, Cognitive Therapy, Conduct Disorder, Disziplin, Group, Humans, Kinder, Male, Mensch mit Behinderung, Methods, Nonverbale Kommunikation, Outcome Assessment (Health Care), Peer Group, physiology, Postkasten, Psychologie, Psychotherapy, social competence training, social competences, Social Skills, Soziale Angemessenheit, Sozialkompetenz, SvA, Therapy, Wartezeit vor einem Akt körperlicher Aggression -
(2017): A Pilot Study of a Self-Administered Parent Training Intervention for Building Preschoolers’ Social-Emotional Competence. In: EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION JOURNAL 45 (3), S. 419-426
Abstract: Social-emotional skills are equally as crucial for school success as cognitive and academic skills (WebsterStratton and Reid in Infants Young Child 17: 96-113, 2004), yet many young children lack these skills (Lavigne et al. in J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 35:204-214, 1996). Therefore, it is essential to invest in the development of social-emotional competence at an early age-a task that necessitates active parent involvement (WebsterStratton and Reid 2004). This pilot study explored the effectiveness, integrity, and acceptability of a self-administered parent training intervention [Devereux Early Childhood Assessment-Second Edition (DECA-P2) family guide (Mackrain and Cairone in Promoting resilience for now and forever: a family guide for supporting the social and emotional development of preschool children, 2nd edn. Kaplan Early Learning Company, Lewisville, 2013)] targeting the promotion of social-emotional competence in young children (N = 12). Pre-and post-test parent reports revealed that children's social-emotional competence increased and behavior problems decreased following program completion. Parent ratings indicated the intervention was carried out as intended (i.e., integrity) and that it was helpful (i.e., acceptability). These exploratory findings suggest that this self-administered parent intervention shows promise as an alternative to face-to-face early childhood prevention services.
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(2017): The Neural Basis of Changing Social Norms through Persuasion. In: Scientific reports 7 (1). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-16572-2
DOI: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29176682 Abstract: Social norms regulate behavior, and changes in norms have a great impact on society. In most modern societies, norms change through interpersonal communication and persuasive messages found in media. Here, we examined the neural basis of persuasion-induced changes in attitude toward and away from norms using fMRI. We measured brain activity while human participants were exposed to persuasive messages directed toward specific norms. Persuasion directed toward social norms specifically activated a set of brain regions including temporal poles, temporo-parietal junction, and medial prefrontal cortex. Beyond these regions, when successful, persuasion away from an accepted norm specifically recruited the left middle temporal and supramarginal gyri. Furthermore, in combination with data from a separate attitude-rating task, we found that left supramarginal gyrus activity represented participant attitude toward norms and tracked the persuasion-induced attitude changes that were away from agreement.
Keywords: Beeinflussung der Bewertung moralischer Urteile, Bewertung von sozialem Verhalten (/sozialer Angemessenheit), Disziplin, Einfluss von Medien, Good manners, Neurowissenschaften, Normen, Normenwandel, Observablen/Kriterien für sozial angemessenes Verhalten und dessen Bewertung, Postkasten, Psychologie, Soziale Angemessenheit, Wandel von Normen -
(2017): Individual Differences in Good Manners Rather Than Compassion Predict Fair Allocations of Wealth in the Dictator Game. In: Journal of personality 85 (2), S. 244-256. DOI: 10.1111/jopy.12237
DOI: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26691600 Abstract: One of the most common tools for studying pro-sociality is the dictator game, in which allocations to one's partner are often described in terms of altruism. However, the motivations driving these allocations may represent either emotional concern for others (compassion), adherence to social norms regarding fairness (politeness), or both. In this article, we apply personality psychology to the study of behavior in the dictator game, in which we examine the discriminant validity of distinct pro-social constructs from the Big Five and HEXACO models in relation to allocations of wealth. Across four studies (Study 1: N = 192; Study 2: N = 212; Study 3: N = 304; Study 4: N = 90) utilizing both hypothetical and incentivized designs, we found that the politeness-but not compassion-aspect of Big Five Agreeableness, as well as HEXACO Honesty-Humility, uniquely predicted dictator allocations within their respective personality models. These findings contribute to a growing literature indicating that the standard dictator game measures "good manners" or adherence to norms concerning fairness, rather than pure emotional concern or compassionate motives, and have important implications for how this paradigm is used and interpreted in psychological research.
Keywords: Adolescent, Adult, Dictator Game, Disziplin, Empathy/physiology, Entwicklungspsychologie, Female, Games, Experimental, Good manners, HEXACO, Humans, Individuality, Male, Middle Aged, Personality/physiology, Postkasten, Psychologie, Social Behavior, Social Conformity, Soziale Angemessenheit, Spieltheorie, Umgangsformen, Young Adult -
(2017): Politeness and Compassion Differentially Predict Adherence to Fairness Norms and Interventions to Norm Violations in Economic Games. In: Scientific reports 7 (1). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-02952-1
DOI: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28611410 Abstract: Adherence to norms and interventions to norm violations are two important forms of social behaviour modelled in economic games. While both appear to serve a prosocial function, they may represent separate mechanisms corresponding with distinct emotional and psychological antecedents, and thus may be predicted by different personality traits. In this study, we compared adherence to fairness norms in the dictator game with responses to violations of the same norms in third-party punishment and recompensation games with respect to prosocial traits from the Big Five and HEXACO models of personality. The results revealed a pattern of differential relations between prosocial traits and game behaviours. While norm adherence in the dictator game was driven by traits reflecting good manners and non-aggression (the politeness aspect of Big Five agreeableness and HEXACO honesty-humility), third-party recompensation of victims-and to a lesser extent, punishment of offenders-was uniquely driven by traits reflecting emotional concern for others (the compassion aspect of Big Five agreeableness). These findings demonstrate the discriminant validity between similar prosocial constructs and highlight the different prosocial motivations underlying economic game behaviours.
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(2017): When Fair Is Not Equal. In: Social Psychological and Personality Science 8 (8), S. 847-857. DOI: 10.1177/1948550616683018
Abstract: Growing evidence has highlighted the importance of social norms in promoting prosocial behaviors in economic games. Specifically, individual differences in norm adherence—captured by the politeness aspect of Big Five agreeableness—have been found to predict fair allocations of wealth to one’s partner in the dictator game. Yet, most studies have used neutrally framed paradigms, where players may default to norms of equality in the absence of contextual cues. In this study (N = 707), we examined prosocial personality traits and dictator allocations under salient real-world norms of equity and need. Extending on the previous research, we found that—in addition to politeness—the compassion aspect of agreeableness predicted greater allocations of wealth when they were embedded in real-world norms. These results represent an important step in understanding the real-world implications of laboratory-based research, demonstrating the importance of both normative context and prosocial traits.
2016
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(2016): Training Social Competences for Workers Councils. In: Economic and Industrial Democracy 2 (3), S. 395-398. DOI: 10.1177/0143831X8123006
Abstract: In 1974 at the Institute od Psychology of the "Freie Universität" (West Berlin), a group was founded which is engaged in different areas of trade-union-oriented research and the application of scientific approaches. In 1978 we formed the association "Arbeit, Bildung und Forschung (ABF) e.V." together with leading members of the large unions of the Federal Republic of Germany. Besides reasearch on stress at work, and the enlargement and use of scientific knowledge by shift workers, the main field of this group is the development and application of programmes for the training of social competence of union members.
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(2016): Diagnosing the Selfie. Pathology or Parody?: Networking the Spectacle in Late Capitalism. In: THIRD TEXT 30 (3-4), S. 264-273
Abstract: Social networking sites are now reportedly flooded with millions of selfies, the purportedly narcissistic tendency to reproduce with webcams and smartphones self-images intended for widespread online dissemination. Like the chain-letter craze of yesteryears, selfies have become fast reduplicating memes targeted at no single destination and orbited in digital space as self-identities transformed into virtual signs. Psychological interpretations cast them as pathological manifestations of low self-esteem and attention-seeking behaviour, perhaps even a form of psychosis. However, defenders attempt to demonstrate selfie circulation as a reality sui generis with its own codes of communication and decorum that may even suggest the formation of new digital communities. However, this defence neglects the question of selfies as spectacles in network culture coinciding with the growth of surveillance practices. Intensification of spectacles aided by the spread of new media technologies may be seen as favouring an interpretation of selfies as reflecting the power of network memes rather than a pathological manifestation of narcissism.
Keywords: Datenschutz & Privatssphäre, decorum, doppelter Treffer, Im (wissenschaftlichen) Diskurs, Informations- & Kommunikationstechnik, Interaktion, Medienwissenschaft, Mensch-Technik-Relationen (MTR), narcissism, network meme, Parodie, Pathologie, Postkasten, Privacy and data, Psychologie, Realtechnik, Reflexionen über MTR, Selbst, Selfies, Situationsbedingter Kontext, Social Network, Social Network Einfluss, Soziale Angemessenheit, Soziale Netzwerke, surveillance, Technik, Überwachung -
(2016): The Effects of Skill Training on Social Workers’ Professional Competences in Norway: Results of a Cluster-Randomised Study. In: BRITISH JOURNAL OF SOCIAL WORK 46 (5), S. 1354-1371
Abstract: Using a cluster-randomised design, this study analyses the effects of a government-administered skill training programme for social workers in Norway. The training programme aims to improve social workers' professional competences by enhancing and system atising follow-up work directed towards longer-term unemployed clients in the following areas: encountering the user, system-oriented efforts and administrative work. The main tools and techniques of the programme are based on motivational interviewing and appreciative inquiry. The data comprise responses to baseline and eighteen-month follow-up questionnaires administered to all social workers (n = 99) in eighteen participating Labour and Welfare offices randomised into experimental and control groups. The findings indicate that the skill training programme positively affected the social workers' evaluations of their professional competences and quality of work supervision received. The acquisition and mastering of combinations of specific tools and techniques, a comprehensive supervision structure and the opportunity to adapt the learned skills to local conditions were important in explaining the results.
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(2016): Sozial-Emotionale Kompetenz. In: KINDHEIT UND ENTWICKLUNG 25 (2), S. 114-121. DOI: 10.1026/0942-5403/a000194
Abstract: Recent research has pointed to the importance of the interaction of emotions, perception of emotional expressions in social contexts, and emotion regulation for nonaggressive behavior in children. Evaluations underline the positive impact of prevention programs rather than interventional therapy for children. Long-term curricular training aiming at nonviolent behavior was shown to be successful; however, comprehensive programs cannot always be administered in every-day school contexts. Thus, a short-term prevention program for elementary school fourth-graders was developed for training in the classroom. The program Peaceful Cooperation in Conflict Situations aims at improving the sensitivity and understanding of emotions in self and others, perspective taking in conflict situations, and knowledge of how to communicate nonviolently. In a longitudinal control group study including block randomization, 184 elementary school children in fourth grade participated in the study; 177 complete data records entered the final analysis. The pretest instruments were (a) a paper-and-pencil test measuring the children's social-emotional competencies (i.e., identifying emotional expressions in pictures; describing emotions of aggressors and victims in conflict situations involving children; writing down options of positive behavior to solve the situation peacefully) and (b) teachers' ratings of their pupils' altruistic behavior and emotional and social problems. Two weeks later, the training was administered during three 90-min lessons within a period of 4 weeks. The controls received no special treatment. At posttest 16 weeks after the training, the same tests were administered. Data analyses (MANOVA, ANOVA) revealed that the intervention group improved considerably and with great effects in their social-emotional proficiency as a result of the training. At posttest, they had far advanced in all tested abilities in comparison with their pretest results. They acquired a significantly better understanding of emotions and perspective taking in conflict situations than the controls did. The trained children were rated more favorably by their teachers with respect to their prosocial behavior than at pretest 5 months earlier. The study supports findings from two previous studies with third graders. It shows that a short-term program aiming at enhancing social-emotional knowledge in children can lead to positive results with effects lasting at least several months later. The program can help to prevent the escalation of conflicts and to further peaceful communication. For implementation in schools on a larger scale, measures will have to be taken to ensure the transfer of the reported results.
2015
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(2015): A framework for constructing cognition ontologies using WordNet, FrameNet, and SUMO. In: COGNITIVE SYSTEMS RESEARCH 33, S. 122-144
Abstract: Psychoinformatics is an emerging discipline that uses tools from the information sciences to organize psychological data. This article supports that objective by proposing a framework for constructing cognition ontologies by using WordNet, FrameNet, and the Suggested Upper Merged Ontology (SUMO). The first section describes the major characteristics of each of these tools. WordNet is a large lexical data base that was begun in the 1980s by George Miller. FrameNet is a database of event schemas based on a theory of frame semantics developed by the linguist Charles Fillmore. SUMO is a formal ontology of concepts expressed in mathematical logic that supports deductive reasoning. The next section discusses the objectives of science ontologies and includes examples for psychoses and for emotion. The article then describes potential applications of cognition ontologies for (1) studying how people organize knowledge, (2) analyzing major theoretical concepts such as abstraction, and (3) formulating premises that can serve as a link between informal taxonomies and formal ontologies. The final section discusses extending cognition ontologies to related domains such as artificial intelligence and cognitive neuroscience.
Keywords: Computerwissenschaft, Disziplin, frame semantics, Intellektualtechnik, Kogn. Architektur, Kognitionswissenschaft/Social Sciences/Humanities, kognitive Architekturen, Kognitive Skills/Social Cognition, Korpus, Künstliche Intelligenz, Mensch-Technik-Relationen (MTR), Postkasten, psychoinformatics, Psychoinformatik, Psychologie, Realtechnik, Technik, Wissensstrukturierung -
(2015): Mangelnde soziale Kompetenz im Jugendalter. In: KINDHEIT UND ENTWICKLUNG 24 (2), S. 123-130. DOI: 10.1026/0942-5403/a000167
Abstract: The JobFit Training, a universal prevention program for adolescents, aims to prevent developmental deviation at the time of transition from school to profession. The present study evaluates the effectiveness of this training, considering adolescents in an educational setting. 78 adolescents, aged between 13.5 and 19.4 years, were the selected from a total sample of 446 adolescents. Inclusion criteria were abnormal prosocial behavior scores assessed with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). The social and learning behavior ratings of the adolescents were assessed with the Student Self-Assessment Scale for Social and Learning Behavior (SSL). The comparison of the pre- and posttraining measurements shows significant differences with small and medium effects in the SSL domain "social behavior" and the related scales "self-control", "self assertion", and "social contact" as well as in the SSL domain "learning behavior" and the related scale "independent learning". These findings confirm that JobFit Training as a tool that encourages social skills within adolescent populations with deficits in personal resources.
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(2015): Attachment Competences in Children With ADHD During the Social-Skills Training and Attachment (SOSTRA) Randomized Clinical Trial. In: JOURNAL OF ATTENTION DISORDERS 19 (10), S. 865-871
Abstract: Objective: To investigate the effects of social-skills training and a parental training program on children with ADHD as measured by the children's attachment competences. Method: The SOSTRA trial is a randomized, parallel-group, outcome-assessor-blinded, superiority trial evaluating 8 weeks social-skills training and parental training plus standard treatment versus standard treatment alone for 8- to 12-year old children with ADHD. Results: There were no significant differences in attachment competences at 6 months between the experimental (n = 25) and the control (n = 22) groups (odds ratio = 1.06, 95% confidence interval = [0.31, 3.58], p = .91). In total, 17 children (36%) changed their entry status, 1 (2%) from secure to insecure attachment, while 16 (34%) changed from insecure to secure attachment. Conclusion: The experimental treatment does not seem to affect attachment competences compared with standard treatment alone. Children in the SOSTRA trial improved their attachment competences significantly at 6-month follow-up.
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(2015): Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Im/politeness. Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Company
Abstract: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Im/politeness brings together the work of linguists, psychologists, neuroscientists, and second language experts in order to provide readers with a snapshot of the possibilities for studying im/politeness in the 21st century. The volume is organized along methodological lines in three parts each preceded by a brief introduction outlining the evolution and advantages and disadvantages of the relevant methodologies, while a specially commissioned epilogue places the volume in the field as a whole. Part I is dedicated to self-reporting studies, Part II covers observational studies, and Part III introduces experimental studies. A central goal of the present collection is to make a case for the relevance of all these types of data and of both quantitative and qualitative methodologies to the ongoing theoretical debates in the field of im/politeness.
2014
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(2014): The HEXACO Honesty-Humility, Agreeableness, and Emotionality factors. A review of research and theory. In: Personality and social psychology review: An official journal of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc 18 (2), S. 139-152. DOI: 10.1177/1088868314523838
DOI: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24577101 Abstract: We review research and theory on the HEXACO personality dimensions of Honesty-Humility (H), Agreeableness (A), and Emotionality (E), with particular attention to the following topics: (1) the origins of the HEXACO model in lexical studies of personality structure, and the content of the H, A, and E factors in those studies; (2) the operationalization of the H, A, and E factors in the HEXACO Personality Inventory-Revised; (3) the construct validity of self-reports on scales measuring the H factor; (4) the theoretical distinction between H and A; (5) similarity and assumed similarity between social partners in personality, with a focus on H and A; (6) the extent to which H (and A and E) variance is represented in instruments assessing the "Five-Factor Model" of personality; and (7) the relative validity of scales assessing the HEXACO and Five-Factor Model dimensions in predicting criteria conceptually relevant to H, A, and E.
Keywords: Behavioral Research, Big Five, Disziplin, Emotions, Entwicklungspsychologie, Good manners, HEXACO, Humans, Modelle/Theorien, Models, Psychological, Personality, Personality Inventory, Persönlichkeitsforschung, Postkasten, Psychologie, Reproducibility of Results, Soziale Angemessenheit, Überblick -
(2014): The role of the degree of acquaintance with teachers on students’ interpersonal perceptions of their teacher. In: Social Psychology of Education 17 (1), S. 127-140. DOI: 10.1007/s11218-013-9234-6
Abstract: Some researchers suggest that the way a teacher is perceived during the first encounter with a classroom group resembles, and therefore is predictive of, later classroom processes as perceived by students. This study investigated the degree to which interpersonal ratings (i.e., control and affiliation), given by secondary school students to teachers unknown to them, are comparable to ratings given by students who are well acquainted with that teacher, by means of a quasi-experimental design. Ratings concerning a teacher students had not met before, based on a 5 min video vignette, were compared to ratings given by students who had been taught by the same teacher for at least a year (N 489). Students at no acquaintance perceived a teacher's interpersonal traits in a similar way as students who were familiar with that teacher. It is concluded that students' early interpersonal perceptions of a teacher largely resemble perceptions formed by students that know this teacher well.
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(2014): Social skills training and cognitive training. Are the efficacy to reach social competence and cognitive abilities?. In: EUROPEAN PSYCHIATRY 29
Abstract: The majority of data on long term interventions on social disabilities are shown in international experiences for systematized models which are mainly cognitive-behavioural informed. Few dates are related to the experiences carried out in Italy after the changes in the psychiatric services. Emerging evidences demonstrated a relationship between cognitive deficits and social disability in patients with schizophrenia; currently they are considered an important target of both pharmacological and psychological (in particular, Cognitive Trainings, CT) treatments of these patients. The aim is to demonstrate the efficacy of Social Skills Training and Cognitive Training to achieve social competence, cognitive abilities and reduce vulnerability of patients with schizophrenia. Patients with schizophrenia can clearly improve their social competence with social skills training and cognitive remediation, which may translate into a more adaptive functioning in the community. Thirty adult inpatients (from 18 to 55 years of age) with ICD-10-based diagnoses of schizophrenia were randomly assigned to three different groups: active intervention from 30 months (IPT-a group); active intervention from 18 months (IPT-b group); and treatment as usual (control group). Outcome measures were cognition (ENB-2) and social skills assessment (Valutazione Abilità Sociali) of five sub unit. Cognitive behavior therapy may benefit the large number of patients who continue to experience disabling psychotic symptoms despite optimal pharmacological treatment. The results of studies investigating the efficacy of TC and SST are not univocal, probably due to differences in the implementation of the programs and the heterogeneity of participants.
2013
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(2013): Designing and implementation a life skills training program for improving social competence and academic achievement of first grade high school girl students in tehran city. In: EUROPEAN PSYCHIATRY 28
Abstract: The aim of present research was to investigate the impact of life skills training program on the advancement of social competence and academic achievement of first grade high school girl students in Tehran city. The sample of this experimental research consists of two groups of thirty students from 14 and 2 education zones of Tehran. Students were randomly assigned to control and experimental groups. The research tools used in this study were social competence questionnaire (r = 0.89) and 1st and 2nd term grade point averages, which were taken twice as the pre and post tests. Experimental group took part in 12 sessions of life skills training program (90 minutes each which consisted of: self awareness, decision making & problem solving, time management, control of aggression, assertiveness, coping with stress & interpersonal relationships). Data was analyzed using covariance statistical test (ANCOVA). Results showed that experimental group benefited from life skills training program and their social competence and its components (cognitive, motivational, behavioral and emotional) improved significantly, but the impact on their academic achievement was not significant.
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(2013): 432 – Designing and implementation a life skills training program for improving social competence and academic achievement of first grade high school girl students in tehran city. In: EUROPEAN PSYCHIATRY 28. DOI: 10.1016/S0924-9338(13)75774-2
Abstract: The aim of present research was to investigate the impact of life skills training program on the advancement of social competence and academic achievement of first grade high school girl students in Tehran city. The sample of this experimental research consists of two groups of thirty students from 14 and 2 education zones of Tehran. Students were randomly assigned to control and experimental groups. The research tools used in this study were social competence questionnaire (r = 0.89) and 1st and 2nd term grade point averages, which were taken twice as the pre and post tests. Experimental group took part in 12 sessions of life skills training program (90 minutes each which consisted of: self awareness, decision making & problem solving, time management, control of aggression, assertiveness, coping with stress & interpersonal relationships). Data was analyzed using covariance statistical test (ANCOVA). Results showed that experimental group benefited from life skills training program and their social competence and its components (cognitive, motivational, behavioral and emotional) improved significantly, but the impact on their academic achievement was not significant.
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(2013): Are Liberals Agreeable or Not?. In: Social Psychology 44 (5), S. 354-360. DOI: 10.1027/1864-9335/a000132
Abstract: Documenting the relationship between Agreeableness and political conservatism has proven elusive. We address this anomaly by showing that two aspects of Agreeableness – politeness and compassion – have countervailing relationships with political conservatism through right-wing authoritarianism (RWA) and social dominance orientation (SDO). To test this, we analyzed data from a nationally representative sample of New Zealanders (N = 4,553). Politeness was positively, but compassion was negatively, correlated with political conservatism. Consistent with the differential mediation hypothesis derived from the dual process model of ideology and prejudice, these opposing relationships were differentially mediated by RWA and SDO. This attenuated the bivariate relationship between the higher-order trait of Agreeableness and political conservatism. These results demonstrate the complex relationship between personality and political orientation.
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(2013): The effect of social skills training on perceived competence of female adolescents with deafness. In: Iranian Red Crescent medical journal 15 (12). DOI: 10.5812/ircmj.5426
DOI: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24693408 Abstract: BACKGROUND Although there are considerable researches on effectiveness of social skills training, little information is available on the effects of such training on perceived competence of adolescents with deafness. OBJECTIVES This study was conducted in special school settings to determine the effects of social skills training on perceived competence of female adolescents with deafness. PATIENTS AND METHODS A prepost quasi-experimental design was used to perform the study. Sixty nine female students with deafness who were enrolled in all of the four different special secondary schools in Tehran, Iran, between 2010 and 2011 participated in this research. Two of four secondary schools were randomly allocated to the intervention group (33 students), and the other two to the control group (36 students). The participants were between 11 and 21 years (Mean = 15.43; SD = 1.89), and more than three fourth of each groups ( i.e. 28 students in each groups) were affected by profound hearing impairment . The intervention group participated in twelve bi-weekly sessions. Pretest and posttest data were collected using the 'Hearing Impaired Children Self-Image Test'. The questionnaire was filled by an interviewer. This questionnaire asks students about their feeling toward their own competence in domains of cognitive, physical, socio-emotional and communication competence and school adjustment. The data was analyzed by using SPSS software, version 16. RESULTS The intervention led to significant improvement in total perceived competence scores of adolescents with deafness (P < 0.001) as well as in three domains of socio-emotional competence (P = 0.003), communication competence (P < 0.001), and school adjustment (P = 0.018). CONCLUSIONS It is likely that learning social skills in adolescents with deafness would improve their sense of competence, and emotional well being.