Towards an Integrative Taxonomy of Social-Emotional Competences

Social and Emotional Competencies of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and/or Intellectual Disability

Children with ASD and children with ID face numerous challenges in social and emotional functioning. The aim of this study is to explore differences in social and emotional competencies between children with ASD, children with ID and children with comorbid ASD/ID. Methods: Parents (N = 177) assessed the social and emotional competencies of elementary school-aged children with ASD (N = 50), children with ID (N = 84), and children with comorbid ASD/ID (N = 43) using the Devereux Student Strengths Assessment (DESSA). DESSA measures 8 key social and emotional competencies. In our study, no differences in social and emotional competencies were found between children with ASD and children with ID. Children with comorbid ASD/ID did not differ from children with ASD, but compared to children with ID, parents rated their self-awareness, social awareness, relationship skills, and optimistic thinking as significantly lower. The results were discussed considering the type of school attended by the children, the level of intellectual disability of children with ID, and the complexity of functioning of children with ASD. All three groups of children require tailored interventions for social and emotional learning to support their functioning in daily activities at home, at school and in peer groups.

Streaming to Connect: Exploring How Social Connectedness Relates to Empathy Types and Physiological States in Remote Virtual Audiences

Examining remote virtual audiences is a vital part of understanding social experiences in modern human-computer interaction contexts. Doing so raises intriguing questions about how these mediated connections relate to emotional and physiological states. The vagus nerve is central to socioemotional processing and physiological well-being, with its activation represented as vagally mediated heart rate variability (vmHRV). We examine how participants' social connectedness to virtual partners relates to their experience of socioemotional competences and psychophysiological states while observing streamed gameplay. In this experimental study with 48 participants, we compared self-reported empathy, empathic concern, and continuously measured vmHRV (from a PPG sensor) during different types of gameplay. The results revealed that viewers who felt greater social connectedness to remote partners also felt more empathic concern (quantitative detail) and had significantly heightened vmHRV (quant detail) across all conditions compared to those who felt lower connectedness. These findings reveal that stronger feelings of connectedness to remote partners are associated with enhanced socioemotional competences and physiological well-being. This research highlights the intertwined nature of social connectedness, empathy, and physiological health, providing valuable insights for designing virtual platforms that foster deeper interpersonal connections and promote well-being.

Physicians' Social Skills - Conceptualization, Taxonomy, and Behavioral Assessment

Social skills (e.g., assertiveness, empathy, ability to accept criticism) are essential for the medical profession and therefore also for the selection and development of medical students. However, the term "social skills" is understood differently in different contexts. There is no agreed upon taxonomy for classifying physicians' social skills, and skills with the same meaning often have different names. This conceptual ambiguity presents a hurdle to cross-context communication and to the development of methods to assess social skills. Drawing from behavioral psychology, we aim to contribute to a better understanding of social skills in the medical context. To this end, we introduce a theoretically and empirically informed taxonomy that can be used to integrate the large number of different social skills. We consider how skills manifest at the behavioral level to ensure that we focus only on skills that are actually observable, distinguishable, and measurable. Here, behavioral research has shown that three overarching skill dimensions can be seen in interpersonal situations and are clearly distinguishable from each other: agency skill (i.e., getting ahead in social situations), communion skill (i.e., getting along in social situations), and interpersonal resilience (i.e., staying calm in social situations). We show that almost all social skills relevant for physicians fit into this structure. The approach presented allows redundant descriptions to be combined under three clearly distinguishable and behavior-based dimensions of social skills. This approach has implications for the assessment of social skills in both the selection and development of students.

The role of social-emotional competencies in interpersonal relationships: a structural equation modeling approach

Social-emotional competencies, a crucial non-academic factor for K-12 students to be competent 21st century citizens, are receiving increasing research attention. Based on the 2,801 self-reports of grades 4-8 students from four schools in China, this study scrutinized the associations between adolescents' five core competencies and their interpersonal relationships. Results indicated that five competencies acted as mediators between parent-child relationships and students' relationships with teachers and peers. In addition to the girls' advantage in five competencies, the results also demonstrated the gender and grade differences in the association. Boys had more indirect links and girls had both direct and indirect associations. There were grade differences in the mediating role of social awareness. The study's findings may advance our understanding of the parental influence on Chinese students' social-emotional competencies and provide a more nuanced picture of the conditions and interplay that foster or hinder students' proficiency in these competencies in schools and families.

The Behavioral, Emotional, and Social Skills Inventory: A Spanish Adaptation and Further Validation in Adult Population

Social, emotional, and behavioral (SEB) skills encompass a broad range of interpersonal and intrapersonal abilities that are crucial for establishing and maintaining relationships, managing emotions, setting and pursuing goals, and exploring new learning opportunities. To address the lack of consensus regarding terminology, definition, and assessment of SEB skills, Soto et al. developed the Behavioral, Emotional, and Social Skills Inventory (BESSI), which consists of 192 items, 32 facets, and 5 domains. The objective of the current study was to adapt the BESSI to Spanish (referred to as BESSI-Sp) and enhance the overall understanding of the BESSI framework. A sample of 303 people was employed with a mean age of 30.35 years (SD = 14.73), ranging from 18 to 85 years. The results indicate that the BESSI-Sp demonstrates strong psychometric properties. Its facet- and domain-level structure aligns with the theoretical expectations and closely resembles the English-language source version. The facets exhibit high reliability (mean ω = .89), and the scores demonstrate adequate stability after 3 to 4 weeks (mean rICC = .77). The BESSI-Sp also displays evidence of convergent validity and integrates well with the Big Five framework, providing incremental validity for various outcomes. We discuss the implications of these findings for the assessment of SEB skills and future research in this field.

Psychometric properties of the SocioEmotional Skills Instrument for Teachers using network approach: English and Spanish version

The importance of socioemotional teaching skills has been highlighted for its link with better academic, social, emotional, and behavioral results of students, as well as for its contribution to the work wellbeing, mental health, and prosperity of teachers. However, there are few instruments that measure these skills in teachers in the context of their professional practice. The purpose of this research was to analyze the psychometric properties of the socioemotional Skills Instrument for Teachers (SEMS-IT). An instrumental design and a sample of 853 Chilean secondary school teachers were used. To evaluate the dimensional structure of the instrument, a portion of the sample (n = 468) underwent a network estimation method with exploratory graph analysis (EGA) using a Gaussian GLASSO model. Then, in order to confirm the structural consistency and stability of the items, the analysis was replicated in a second sample (n = 385), where these results were additionally contrasted with those of the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The EGA findings confirmed a structure of four dimensions and 19 items in total: (a) cognitive management of teacher emotion (four items), (b) teacher empathic concern (four items), (c) teacher-student relationship (four items), and (d) adverse classroom climate (seven items), with a 7-point Likert scale response format. The CFA showed good and acceptable fit indicators, X2 (171) = 354.546 (p < 0.001), Comparative Fit Index (CFI) = 0.971, Tucker-Lewis index (TLI) = 0.966, Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA) = 0.061, and Standardized Root Mean Square Residual (SRMR) = 0.062. In conclusion, a tool for the assessment of teachers' socioemotional skills, valid for school-based educational research, is provided. Implications of the findings at the theoretical and practical levels are discussed, as well as limitations and future projections for future research.

Brain regulation training improves emotional competences in patients with alcohol use disorder

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is defined as the impaired ability to stop or control alcohol use despite adverse social, occupational, or health consequences and still represents one of the biggest challenges for society regarding health conditions, social consequences, and financial costs, including the high relapse rates after traditional alcohol rehabilitation treatment. Especially, the deficient emotional competence in AUD is said to play a key role in the development of AUD and hinders the interruption of substance compulsion, often leading to a viscous circle of relapse. Although the empirical evidence of a neurophysiological basis of AUD is solid and increases even further, clinical interventions based on neurophysiology are still rare for individuals with AUD. This randomized controlled trial investigates changes in emotional competences, alcohol-related cognitions, and drinking behavior before and after an established alcohol rehabilitation treatment (control group: nCG = 29) compared to before and after an optimized, add-on neurofeedback (NF) training (experimental group: nEG = 27). Improvements on the clinical-psychological level, i.e. increases in emotional competences as well as life satisfaction, were found after the experimental electroencephalography (EEG) NF training. Neurophysiological measurements via resting-state EEG indicate decreases in low beta frequency band, while alpha and theta bands remained unaffected.

Reciprocal Associations among Social-Emotional Competence, Interpersonal Relationships and Academic Achievements in Primary School

The study aimed to examine the reciprocal associations among social-emotional competence (SEC), interpersonal relationships (including teacher-student relationships and peer relationships) and academic achievements in reading, mathematics and science of primary school students. The Chinese versions of the Delaware Social and Emotional Competency Scale, Teacher-student Relationship Scale, Peer-nomination method and Academic Achievement Tests were used to measure students' SEC, teacher-student relationships, peer relationships (including social preference (SP) and social impact (SI)) and academic achievements, respectively. In total, 3995 fourth-grade students participated in the first survey, and 2789 of them were tracked in the follow-up survey two years later. Structural equation modelling was employed to investigate the cross-lagged relationships among the variables across time. The results showed the reciprocal associations between SEC with academic achievements and teacher-student relationships, as well as between academic achievements with SP and teacher-student relationships. Moreover, variations in these reciprocal associations were observed across the subjects of reading, mathematics and science. In summary, this study offers new insights for enhancing students' SEC, interpersonal relationships and academic achievements, and implications for future subject-specific education can be derived by considering the complex interplay in the subjects of reading, mathematics and science.

Socio-emotional skills profiles and their relations with career exploration and perceived parental support among 8th grade students

Socio-emotional skills can play a crucial role in students career development. This study used a person-centered approach to explore socio-emotional skills (curiosity, optimism, empathy, sociability, and responsibility) profiles among 8° grade students (N = 310). We also explored the relations of these profiles with career exploration (self and environmental), perceived parental support (emotional support, instrumental assistance, career-related modeling, and verbal encouragement) and school achievement. Using Latent Profile Analysis (LPA), four distinct profiles emerged that differed in terms of level and shape, namely: Other and Task oriented profile, Socio-emotional Adaptive profile, Socio-emotional non-Adaptive profile, Self- Oriented profile. Our results show that the "Socio-emotional Adaptive" profile can be clearly differentiated from the "Socio-emotional non-Adaptive" profile given the higher values it presents regarding all the variables in study. However, the differences between the "Other and Task Oriented" profile and "Self-Oriented" profile (intermediate profiles) were analyzed and discussed from qualitative point-of-view and adopting an exploratory approach. Overall, the findings of this study indicate that socio-emotional profiles have the potential to account for variations in career behaviors and academic performance. These results provide valuable insights for the development and implementation of career-oriented interventions targeted at 8th grade students and their immediate relational environments.

A Rose by any Other Name? Using Core Components to Categorize Social and Emotional Learning Provision

Although social and emotional learning (SEL) benefits children and youth worldwide, classifying a program as SEL is insufficient to capture its variability of content. There is currently little to aid in identifying specific program content so that foci may be identified (e.g., self-management skills vs. social skills). This gap poses a difficulty for researchers attempting to address heterogeneity in SEL research and practitioners who want to select programs best suited for their contexts. This paper begins to address these concerns by extracting and contrasting 'core components' of interventions within an identified shortlist of 13 universal, elementary evidence-based programs through a distillation method using the often cited 'five core competency' model from CASEL (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning). Results showed that CASEL's core competencies are represented across short-listed programs. However, almost all programs had identifiable foci, targeting a subset of skills. Accordingly, the use of 'core components' is recommended as a method for offering more nuance in SEL classification for programs beyond the current study, with implications for program implementation and the design of future research in SEL evaluation.

Fostering Engagement, Reflexivity, and 21st-Century Skills in Middle School: A Pilot Collaborative Action Research on Identity Formation with Adolescent Co-Researchers

Identity construction during adolescence constitutes a primary psychosocial developmental task. A growing body of research has addressed the importance of school education in fostering adolescents' identity formation and the skills they need to thrive. Although several studies aimed at defining the factors contributing to a coherent, stable, and integrated identity formation, none sought to investigate this question from the adolescents' perspective. This contribution aimed to explore new ways of fostering 21st-century skills among adolescents through action research. Five adolescents aged 13 to 15 participated in the research process, creating a survey to answer a research problem mainly focused on identity construction in adolescence. A reflexive analysis of the co-research process highlighted the interest in involving adolescents as co-researchers to foster their social and emotional skills. The deployment of the resulting survey in a sample of 1210 adolescents from the general population highlighted the importance of gender diversity for constructing various dimensions of identity.

The Behavioral, Emotional, and Social Skills Inventory (BESSI): Psychometric Properties of a German-Language Adaptation, Temporal Stabilities of the Skills, and Associations with Personality and Intelligence

Social, emotional, and behavioral (SEB) skills comprise a broad set of abilities that are essential for building and maintaining relationships, regulating emotions, selecting and pursuing goals, or exploring novel stimuli. Toward an improved SEB skill assessment, Soto and colleagues recently introduced the Behavioral, Emotional, and Social Skills Inventory (BESSI). Measuring 32 facets from 5 domains with 192 items (assessment duration: ~15 min), BESSI constitutes the most extensive SEB inventory to date. However, so far, BESSI exists only in English. In three studies, we comprehensively validated a novel German-language adaptation, BESSI-G. Moreover, we expanded evidence on BESSI in three ways by (1) assessing the psychometric properties of the 32 individual skill facets, in addition to their domain-level structure; (2) providing first insights into the temporal stabilities of the 32 facets over 1.5 and 8 months; and (3) investigating the domains' and facets' associations with intelligence, in addition to personality traits. Results show that BESSI-G exhibits good psychometric properties (unidimensionality, reliability, factorial validity). Its domain-level structure is highly similar to that of the English-language source version. The facets show high temporal stabilities, convergent validity with personality traits, and discriminant validity with fluid and crystallized intelligence. We discuss implications for research on SEB skills.

Predicting Actual Social Skill Expression from Personality and Skill Self-Concepts

Social skills are of key importance in everyday and work life. However, the way in which they are typically assessed via self-report questionnaires has one potential downside; self-reports assess individuals' global self-concepts, which do not necessarily reflect individuals' actual social behaviors. In this research, we aimed to investigate how self-concepts assessed via questionnaires relate to skill expression assessed via behavioral observations after short interpersonal simulations. For this, we used an alternative behavior-based skill assessment approach designed to capture expressions of predefined social skills. Self- and observer ratings were collected to assess three different social skills: agency (i.e., getting ahead in social situations), communion (i.e., getting along in social situations), and interpersonal resilience (i.e., staying calm in social situations). We explored how these skills were related to self-concepts by differentiating between a classic personality measure (i.e., Big Five Inventory 2; BFI-2) and a novel skill questionnaire (i.e., Behavioral, Emotional, and Social Skills Inventory; BESSI). The results (N = 137) showed that both personality and skill self-concepts predicted self-rated skill expression, with the BESSI showing incremental validity. For both personality and skills self-concepts, the relationships with observer-rated skill expression were significant for agency but not for communion or interpersonal resilience. We discuss these results and highlight the theoretical and practical importance of differentiating between skill self-concepts and actual skill expression.

A Pilot Study of Improving Self-Regulation and Social Interaction with Peers: An “Exciting School”

Social interaction skills are related to successful academic performance and mental health. One of the key elements of socio-emotional competence is self-regulation. The main aim of this study was to analyze the effect of a self-regulation program at a primary school on the social interactions of neurotypical children and children with special educational needs, from the teachers’ and parents’ perspectives. A pre-post study was conducted. The children (n = 107) followed 10 sessions, each one of 50 min, for ten weeks, between January and April 2021. To assess the changes in children’s social interaction, the Peer Social Maturity Scale was administered to the teachers. After the intervention, parents completed a questionnaire designed ad hoc to understand the effectiveness of children’s emotional self-regulation. The results showed a statistically significant improvement in peer interaction skills. The families were satisfied with the program, due to the improvement in their children’s knowledge about their own emotions and those of the other people, and the learning strategies to regulate their emotions. Likewise, parents indicated that it would be necessary to complement the program with teaching and emotional regulation strategies for them. The “Exciting School” program could help improve the social skills of school-aged children.

Turning Vicious Cycles Into Virtuous Ones: the Potential for Schools to Improve the Life Course

Adolescence is a critical transition period that sets the stage for adulthood and future health outcomes. Marked by key developmental milestones in brain maturation, increasing independence from parents, and greater connections to peers, adolescence is also a time of heightened risk for behavioral health problems, including substance use, violence, delinquency, and mental health issues. High school completion is a significant life course event and a powerful social determinant of health and health disparities. Jessor's Theory of Problem Behavior suggests that adolescent health behaviors and mental health problems are closely tied to poor educational outcomes and peer network formation in a reinforcing feedback loop, or vicious cycle, often leading to school failure, school disengagement, and drop-out. Schools are a novel platform through which vicious cycles can be disrupted and replaced with virtuous ones, simultaneously improving education and health. This article describes the potential for schools to transform health trajectories through interventions creating positive and supportive school climates. In addition, new models such as the Whole School Whole Community Whole Child Model promote whole child well-being, including cognitive, social, emotional, psychological, and physical development. Full-service community schools can serve as a hub coordinating and integrating all available resources to better respond to the needs of children and families. Present in every neighborhood, schools are a way to reach every school-age child and improve their health trajectories, providing an important platform for life course intervention research.

Effects of Body-Oriented Interventions on Preschoolers' Social-Emotional Competence: A Systematic Review

OBJECTIVE

A growing body of evidence supports the effectiveness of body-oriented interventions (BOI) in educational contexts, showing positive influences on social-emotional competence. Nevertheless, there is a lack of systematization of the evidence regarding preschool years. This is a two-part systematic review. In this first part, we aim to examine the effects of BOI on preschoolers' social-emotional competence outcomes.

DATA SOURCES

Searches were conducted in Pubmed, Scopus, PsycInfo, ERIC, Web of Science, Portal Regional da BVS and CINAHL.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

English, French and Portuguese language articles published between January 2000 and October 2020, that evaluated the effects of BOI implemented in educational contexts on social-emotional competence of preschool children. Only randomized controlled trials (RCT) or quasi-RCT were included.

DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS

Two reviewers independently completed data extraction and risk-of-bias assessment. The level of scientific evidence was measured through the Best Evidence Synthesis.

RESULTS

Nineteen studies were included. There was strong evidence that BOI do not improve anger/aggression, delay of gratification and altruism. Nevertheless, there was moderate evidence that BOI effectively improve other social-emotional outcomes, such as empathy, social interaction, social independence, general internalizing behaviors, and general externalizing behaviors. The lack of scientific evidence was compromised by the methodological quality of the studies.

CONCLUSION

BOI effectively improve specific social-emotional competences of preschool children.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION

PROSPERO, identifier CRD42020172248.

On the Problem of Evidence-based Psychological Assessment of School Students’ Social Competence in Inclusive Education

<p>The purpose of the article is to analyze the problems of psychological assessment of the school students&rsquo; social competence in inclusive education according to evidence-based approach, which implies the link between science and practice. The article discusses the main theoretical approaches to the definition of the concept of social competence: through indicators of personal effectiveness and the ability to achieve personal goals in social interaction; through a set of social skills and activities: as sensitivity to the problems of interaction between people, as an outcome of social, emotional and cultural intelligence. The integrative taxonomy of social competencies is considered as a theoretical framework for reviewing existing methods and identifying the need to develop new psychodiagnostic techniques, as well as for creating individual profiles of school students in inclusive education. The possibilities and limitations of using psychological methods and techniques adapted to the Russian-speaking sample for diagnosing the social competence of school students are discussed. The use of psychological diagnostic methods to assess the effectiveness of educational practice is considered from the point of view of evidence-based approach requirements.</p>

Adolescents' Longitudinal School Engagement and Burnout Before and During COVID-19-The Role of Socio-Emotional Skills

This longitudinal study examined school engagement and burnout profiles among early and middle adolescents before and during COVID-19, and within-class latent change and stability in students' socio-emotional skills the profiles. The longitudinal data were collected in fall 2019 and 2020 from 1381 5th to 6th, and 1374 7th to 8th grade students. Using repeated measures latent profile analyses based on school engagement and burnout we identified five study well-being change profiles in both samples showing structural similarity: normative (53% sample 1; 69% sample 2), moderate-decreasing (4%; 5%), high-decreasing (17%; 10%), low-increasing (6%;7%) and moderate-increasing (20%; 10%) groups. The groups with increasing study well-being showed simultaneous increase in intrapersonal socio-emotional competencies but showed less changes in interpersonal outcomes.