Positive parenting, family cohesion, and child social competence among immigrant Latino families.

The relation between positive parenting, family cohesion, and child social competence was examined among Latino families (predominantly from Mexico) who were recent immigrants to the United States. A mixed method study was conducted, including both pre- and post-test self-reported surveys (9-month interval) and qualitative data from focus groups. A total of 282 parents and 282 children (ages 9–12) participated in the survey study. Results at post-test follow-up indicated that family cohesion predicted improvements in child social problem-solving skills and social self-efficacy, and positive parenting predicted improvements in child social self-efficacy. A total of 12 mothers participated in the focus group study that was designed to explore barriers to positive parenting and family cohesion in this population. Results from focus groups revealed four major themes impacting parenting and family cohesion: (a) acculturation differences between parents and children and the resulting power imbalance; (b) difficulty getting involved in their child's education; (c) loss of extended family; and (d) discrimination against immigrants and legal status. The implications for family support programs for immigrant Latino families and their children are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Relation of filial responsibility to the personal and social adjustment of Latino adolescents from immigrant families.

A multidimensional model of filial responsibility encompassing caregiving activities in the home and perceptions of fairness was examined in relation to multiple self- and teacher-reported indices of competence and distress in a sample of Latino adolescents from immigrant families (N = 129, mean age = 16.8, 64% girls). Whereas most research of Latino adolescents has focused on felt familial obligations and attitudes, this study found that reports of actual caregiving activities were associated with higher competence for the sample as a whole and fewer acting out problems among boys. Perceived fairness was associated with lower levels of distress and moderated the curvilinear association of caregiving with behavioral restraint. High levels of filial caregiving predicted high levels of restraint, but only when the balance of give-and-take at home was perceived as fair. These results are consistent with a model that views filial responsibilities as a source of both personal distress and competence. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Development of the cognitive appraisal and understanding of social events (CAUSE) videos.

This study describes the development and validation of 4 videos designed to assess adolescent cognitive appraisals and understanding of social events (the CAUSE Videos). Story lines varied in outcome (2 negative and 2 ambiguous). Convergent and divergent validity were tested in samples of college freshmen and sophomores. As hypothesized, threatening interpretations during ambiguous situations were positively associated with trait hostility (convergent validity) but were not significantly associated with aggression (divergent validity). Negative video interpretations were not significantly associated with hostility or aggression. These videos provide a valid method for assessing adolescents' appraisals of ambiguous and negative social situations in a laboratory setting and may be used to test hypotheses about cognitive processes underlying associations such as that between low socioeconomic status and health in adolescents. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The efficacy of an online cognitive-behavioral family intervention in improving child behavior and social competence following pediatric brain injury.

Objective: To examine whether an online cognitive-behavioral intervention could improve child adjustment following traumatic brain injury (TBI). Participants: Thirty-nine families of children with moderate to severe TBI. Intervention: Families were randomly assigned to the online family problem-solving (FPS) group or to the Internet resources comparison (IRC) group. Main Outcome Measures: Outcomes included child behavior problems, social competence, and self-management/compliance. Results: The FPS group reported better child self-management/compliance at follow-up than did the IRC group. The child's age and socioeconomic status (SES) moderated treatment effects, with older children and those of lower SES who received FPS showing greater improvements in self-management and behavior problems, respectively. Conclusions: Findings suggest that an online cognitive- behavioral approach can improve child adjustment after TBI, particularly in older children and children of lower SES. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Mother-child play and emerging social behaviors among infants from maltreating families.

Mother-child play of 12-month-old infants (N = 130) from maltreating (N = 78) and nonmaltreating (N = 52) families was analyzed as a context that integrates infants' developing social and cognitive skills. Play was coded from semistructured and unstructured play paradigms. No group differences were found in infants' play maturity. Infants from abusing families demonstrated more imitative play than infants from nonmaltreating families, and engaged in less independent play than infants from both neglecting and nonmaltreating families, suggesting a delay in emerging social behaviors. Mothers from abusing and nonmaltreating families differed in attention directing behaviors. Maternal behaviors predicted child play style variables, but did not mediate the effects of maltreatment. Findings discuss the influence of an early maltreating environment upon the development of the emergent self. Implications for early intervention are underscored. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Aspects of social and emotional competence in adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

Social and emotional competence were evaluated using self-report and behavioral measures in adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and controls. Adults with ADHD viewed themselves as less socially competent but more sensitive toward violations of social norms than controls. Films depicting emotional interactions were used to assess linguistic properties of free recall and perceived emotional intensity. Although adults with ADHD used more words to describe the scenes, they used fewer emotion-related words, despite rating the emotions depicted as more intense than did controls. In contrast, no group differences for words depicting social or cognitive processes were observed. Overall, adults with ADHD appear more aware of their problems in social versus emotional skills. Findings may have implications for improving the psychosocial functioning of these adults. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Predictors of observer ratings of multicultural counseling competence in Black, Latino, and White American trainees.

Using transcribed intake sessions of 52 counselor–client dyads, this study explored the relative contributions of (a) counselor and client race or ethnicity, (b) counselor–client racial or ethnic match, (c) previous academic training in multicultural counseling, and (d) self-reported multicultural counseling competence to observer ratings of trainees' multicultural counseling competence. Results revealed that (a) Black American and Latino American counselor trainees were rated as more multiculturally competent than their White American peers, and (b) prior multicultural training was positively predictive of observer-rated multicultural counseling competence. Implications of the findings for counselor training and practice are presented. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Children and social policy: Section introduction.

This article introduces this special section in the current issue of the American Psychologist. The present section serves as an introduction and exemplar of the interface between child development research and social policy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cognitive adaptation to the experience of social and cultural diversity.

Diversity is a defining characteristic of modern society, yet there remains considerable debate over the benefits that it brings. The authors argue that positive psychological and behavioral outcomes will be observed only when social and cultural diversity is experienced in a way that challenges stereotypical expectations and that when this precondition is met, the experience has cognitive consequences that resonate across multiple domains. A model, rooted in social categorization theory and research, outlines the preconditions and processes through which people cognitively adapt to the experience of social and cultural diversity and the resulting cross-domain benefits that this brings. Evidence is drawn from a range of literatures to support this model, including work on biculturalism, minority influence, cognitive development, stereotype threat, work group productivity, creativity, and political ideology. The authors bring together a range of differing diversity experiences and explicitly draw parallels between programs of research that have focused on both perceiving others who are multicultural and being multicultural oneself. The findings from this integrative review suggest that experiencing diversity that challenges expectations may not only encourage greater tolerance but also have benefits beyond intergroup relations to varied aspects of psychological functioning. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Social competence and psychiatric diagnosis.

It was hypothesized that symptoms reflect a patient's social competence or maturity level and that this level is related to the diagnosis he receives. Symptom scales based on empirical relations between symptoms and competence levels were constructed for 3 spheres of functioning: thought, affect, and action. Results obtained with 504 psychiatric patients showed that: (1) placement on each symptom scale was significantly related to diagnosis, and (2) patients who could be rated on all 3 scales showed consistent placement across scales. The latter finding was interpreted as indicating that the maturity dimension is a pervasive one, thus lending further support to the view that maturity plays an important role in the process of diagnosis. (17 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Mother's emotional expressivity and children's behavior problems and social competence: Mediation through children's regulation.

The relations between mothers' expressed positive and negative emotion and 55–79-month-olds' (76% European American) regulation, social competence, and adjustment were examined. Structural equation modeling was used to test the plausibility of the hypothesis that the effects of maternal expression of emotion on children's adjustment and social competence are mediated through children's dispositional regulation. Mothers' expressed emotions were assessed during interactions with their children and with maternal reports of emotions expressed in the family. Children's regulation, externalizing and internalizing problems, and social competence were rated by parents and teachers, and children's persistence was surreptitiously observed. There were unique effects of positive and negative maternal expressed emotion on children's regulation, and the relations of maternal expressed emotion to children's externalizing problem behaviors and social competence were mediated through children's regulation. Alternative models of causation were tested; a child-directed model in which maternal expressivity mediated the effects of child regulation on child outcomes did not fit the data as well. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Support for school-based social competence promotion.

Notes omissions from the February 1989 special issue of American Psychologist on children and their development. Insufficient attention was paid to (1) the prevention of dysfunctional health-compromising behaviors through the promotion of children's social competence and (2) schools as a primary arena in which such research is conducted. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Executive functions and social competence in young children 6 months following traumatic brain injury.

Objective: This study examined the impact of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in young children on executive functions and social competence, and particularly on the role of executive functions as a predictor of social competence. Method: Data were drawn from a prospective, longitudinal study. Participants were children between the ages of 3 years 0 months and 6 years 11 months at time of injury. The initial sample included 23 with severe TBI, 64 with moderate TBI, and 119 with orthopedic injuries (OI). All participants were assessed at 3 and 6 months postinjury. Executive functions were assessed using neuropsychological tests (Delayed Alternation task and Shape School) and parent ratings on the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function and Child Behavior Questionnaire. Parents rated children's social competence on the Adaptive Behavior Assessment System, Preschool and Kindergarten Behavior Scales, and Home and Community Social Behavior Scales. Results: Children with severe TBI displayed more negative outcomes than children with OI on neuropsychological tests, ratings of executive functions, and ratings of social competence (η2 ranged from .03 to .11). Neuropsychological tests of executive functions had significant but weak relationships with behavioral ratings of executive functions (ΔR2 ranged from .06 to .08). Behavioral ratings of executive functions were strongly related to social competence (ΔR2 ranged from .32 to .42), although shared rater and method variance likely contributed to these associations. Conclusions: Severe TBI in young children negatively impacts executive functions and social competence. Executive functions may be an important determinant of social competence following TBI. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Relation of emotion-related regulation to children's social competence: A longitudinal study.

The differential relations of children's emotion-related regulation (i.e., effortful control and impulsivity) to their personality resiliency, adult-rated popularity, and social competence were examined in children who were 4.5-7.9 years old and who were remeasured 2 years later. Parents and teachers reported on all constructs, and children's attentional persistence was observed. Structural equation modeling was used to test the mediating role of resiliency on the relations between regulation/control and popularity using two-wave longitudinal data. The results provide some evidence of the mediating role of resiliency in the relations between effortful control and popularity, provide some evidence of bidirectional effects, and also buttress the view that emotional regulation should be differentiated into effortful and reactive forms of control. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Intergenerational continuity in parenting quality: The mediating role of social competence.

Prospective studies of intergenerational continuity in parenting quality remain scarce, with little attention given to the potential role of social competence as a mediator of continuity. This study examined social competence as a mediator in the pathway from 1st generation (G1) to 2nd generation (G2) parenting quality. A normative sample of children and their parents were assessed in childhood, and again 10 and 20 years later. Parenting quality of G1 parents was assessed at each time point with multiple informants, as was G2 social competence. G2 parenting was assessed at the 20-year follow-up for those who were parents. The mediational role of social competence in G1 to G2 parenting quality was tested via nested path analytic models, accounting for continuity and cross-domain relations. Social competence mediated the intergenerational relation of parenting quality; results were invariant across gender and ethnic minority status and were unchanged after controlling for age, IQ, socioeconomic status, rule-abiding conduct, and personality (i.e., constraint). The authors discuss results regarding developmental theories of close relationships and the potential for cascading benefits within and across generations from interventions to improve G1 parenting or G2 social competence. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Fundamental dimensions of social judgment: Understanding the relations between judgments of competence and warmth.

In seems there are two dimensions that underlie most judgments of traits, people, groups, and cultures. Although the definitions vary, the first makes reference to attributes such as competence, agency, and individualism, and the second to warmth, communality, and collectivism. But the relationship between the two dimensions seems unclear. In trait and person judgment, they are often positively related; in group and cultural stereotypes, they are often negatively related. The authors report 4 studies that examine the dynamic relationship between these two dimensions, experimentally manipulating the location of a target of judgment on one and examining the consequences for the other. In general, the authors' data suggest a negative dynamic relationship between the two, moderated by factors the impact of which they explore. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Linking social change and developmental change: Shifting pathways of human development.

P. M. Greenfield's new theory of social change and human development aims to show how changing sociodemographic ecologies alter cultural values and learning environments and thereby shift developmental pathways. Worldwide sociodemographic trends include movement from rural residence, informal education at home, subsistence economy, and low-technology environments to urban residence, formal schooling, commerce, and high-technology environments. The former ecology is summarized by the German term Gemeinschaft (“community”) and the latter by the German term Gesellschaft (“society”; T?nnies, 1887/1957). A review of empirical research demonstrates that, through adaptive processes, movement of any ecological variable in a Gesellschaft direction shifts cultural values in an individualistic direction and developmental pathways toward more independent social behavior and more abstract cognition—to give a few examples of the myriad behaviors that respond to these sociodemographic changes. In contrast, the (much less frequent) movement of any ecological variable in a Gemeinschaft direction is predicted to move cultural values and developmental pathways in the opposite direction. In conclusion, sociocultural environments are not static either in the developed or the developing world and therefore must be treated dynamically in developmental research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Attentional dysfunction, social perception, and social competence: What is the nature of the relationship?

The aim of this study was to examine the nature of the relationship between attentional dysfunction and social competence deficits in patients with schizophrenia. Attentional functioning, social perception, and social competence were assessed in 56 inpatients. Measures of vigilance and span of apprehension were administered to assess attentional functioning. Social perception was assessed with an audiovisual measure of affect recognition. Social competence was rated from a role-play task. Span of apprehension and auditory vigilance emerged as specific predictors of social competence. Affect recognition was tested as a mediator and a moderator of the relationship between attentional dysfunction and social competence. Affect recognition was found to moderate the relationship between span of apprehension and social competence. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cognitive processes in story understanding.

The major goal of the author's research has been to discover how readers overcome the limited capacity of working memory to discover the rich pattern of causal relationships found in even the simplest stories. The specific purpose of the series of experiments presented in this article is to discover what happens when the goals and actions are widely separated in the text, and when the actions are not associated with a coherence break. The results suggest that some readers retrieve the goal from long-term memory while others do not. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)