Zilda Aparecida Pereira Del Prette

Habilidades sociais de estudantes de Psicologia: um estudo multicêntrico

Social skills occurring in a high frequency and low variability can be taken as patterns, suggesting cultural or sub-cultural features which are important when selecting instruments for evaluation and planning interventions. This research aimed to characterize the social skills repertoire among Psychology students from 4 Brazilian places: Sao Paulo (SP), Bahia (BA), Minas Gerais (MG)e Rio de Janeiro (RJ), also examining their differences and the influence of sex and age on their patterns. Five hundred sixty four Psychology undergraduates completed a self-report inventory (IHS-del-Prette) with a structure of 5 factors: F1) coping and assertion; F2) expressing positive affection; F3) talking and self-confidence; F4) dealing with unknown people and new situations; F5) aggressiveness self-control. The samples were compared considering general (GS) and factorial (F1, F2, F3, F4 e F5) scores as well as sex and age influence in each one (ANOVA, followed by t or Scheffe test). The results showed that: a) Psychology students presented higher scores than normative sample in the GS, F1, F3 and F4 and lower in the F2 and F5, but sex differences were similar to the normative pattern; b) place, sex and age significantly affected the scores, with place-sex and place-age interactions; c) samples from MG, BA, RJ and SP presented similar profiles, with higher values for RJ in the F1 and for MG and SP in the F2 and F5; d) students from BA presented the highest sex differences and from RJ the lowest ones; e) age differences occurred in the F4 (favorable to younger students for SP) and in the F5 (favorable to older ones for BA and RJ). The meaning of these differences and similarities are discussed as well as some explanatory hypotheses and questions for further studies.

Role of social performance in predicting learning problems: Prediction of risk using logistic regression analysis

Social skills are specific behaviors that individuals exhibit in order to successfully complete social tasks whereas social competence represents judgments by significant others that these social tasks have been successfully accomplished. The present investigation identified the best sociobehavioral predictors obtained from different raters (judges) in order to classify children into Learning Problem (LP) and No Learning Problem (NLP) groups. A sample of 119 elementary school students from six Brazilian public state schools participated in this study. The sample consisted of 59 NLP and 60 LP students. A forward stepwise logistic regression analysis showed the peer ratings of collaborativeness was the best predictor of LP and NLP group membership and correctly classified 94% of the LP group and 90% of the NLP group. Self-ratings of compliance and self-ratings of ease of joining a peer group as well as teacher ratings of collaborativeness were added to the model which correctly classified 98% and 98.1% of the LP and NLP groups respectively. These results are discussed in terms of social skills as academic enablers for academic success in the classroom.

Habilidades sociais e problemas de comportamento de alunos com deficiência mental, alto e baixo desempenho acadêmico

Social skills have been widely recognized as important components of the schooling process, especially for students with mental deficiency. A review of the literature has shown scant research focusing on these students inclusion in the regular school system. Considering this situation, the present study aimed: to evaluate social performance (social abilities and behavior problems) and academic achievements of students who were included in the regular school system, by comparing students with mental deficiency with their peers who had high and low academic achievement (HA and LA, respectively). Thirty teachers evaluated 120 students (40 with mental deficiency included in the regular system, 40 with high and 40 with low academic achievement) from preschool to the 8th grade elementary level using the Social Skills Rating System, originally produced in the United States (Social Skills Rating System, SSRS, by Gresham & Elliott, 1990) in its Brazilian version (SSRS-BR) adapted by Bandeira et al. (n.d.). After descriptive and inferential statistical analyses, the results showed that: concerning academic performance, the three groups showed significantly differences. The HA had the highest scores, followed LA and finally by MD; regarding social skills, HA scores were above the standard average, differing from LA and MD; these last two groups differed only as to the Assertiveness and Self-defense factors. Considering behavior problems, HA scores were below the standard average, differing from the two other groups which showed no difference between groups. Academic and interpersonal difficulties for both groups LA and MD suggest concomitance of these variables, pointing to similar educational needs for both groups, which reinforces the importance of promoting social skills for success in school and for an effective inclusion process.

Validade de critério do sistema de avaliação de habilidades sociais (SSRS-BR)

This study carried out the analysis of the criterion validity of the Brazilian version of the Social Skills Rating System (SSRS-BR). The results of a sample of 84 children with mental disability were compared with a sample of 496 children with typical development. The children and their teachers evaluated social skills, behavior problems and academic competence using the SSRS-BR. In all global scales and in most subscales the instruments of self-evaluation and evaluations done by teachers were sensitive to, significantly, differentiate children with and without mental disability in the constructs measured by the SSRS-BR. This study provides the instrument for future researches as well as for the development of evaluation procedures and intervention programs for children with mental disability.

Social skills of adolescents: convergent validity between IHSA-Del-Prette and MESSY

This research investigates the evidence demonstrating the reliability and convergent validity between the Social Skills Inventory for Adolescents and the Matson Evaluation of Social Skills with Youngsters in two groups: the first with 136 adolescents from a public school (89 females and 47 males, with ages ranging from 12 to 17 years, 13.98 ± 1.24 years); the second with 24 adolescents from a socio-educational program (ages ranging from 13 to 17 years, 15.64 ± 1.18 years). The results showed low and moderate correlations between some subscales of both instruments (Matson Evaluation of Social Skills with Youngsters and Social Skills Inventory for Adolescents), evidencing convergent validity between the Social Skills Inventory for Adolescents scores and the social skills/assertiveness subscale of the Matson Evaluation of Social Skills with Youngsters. Comparisons between the groups indicated that the second sample had less difficulty in Civility (Social Skills Inventory for Adolescents) than the first sample (public school adolescents).

Inventário de habilidades sociais para adolescentes: evidências de validade de constructo e confiabilidade

Social skills are considered as an important indicator of social and emotional development. In the Brazilian context, the Socialxa0Skills Inventory for Adolescents (IHSA-Del-Prette) is available for the assessment of this repertoire, and is widely used in researchxa0and intervention. Favorable psychometric properties have been established through Principle Components Analysis (PCA). Thexa0present study aimed to compare the structure established through PCA with that established through Exploratory Factor Analysisxa0(EFA) and to verify the indicators of validity and reliability produced by Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). A total of 2291xa0students of 6th, 7th and 8th years of Elementary Education and 1st and 2nd years of High School Education participated. The resultsxa0showed a factorial structure very similar to xa0that originally produced with PCA, with six oblique factors confirmed through CFAxa0and with suitable indicators of reliability. The IHSA-Del- rette presented psychometric qualities that recommend indicate its usexa0in the Brazilian context.Social skills are considered as an important indicator of social and emotional development. In the Brazilian context, the Socialxa0Skills Inventory for Adolescents (IHSA-Del-Prette) is available for the assessment of this repertoire, and is widely used in researchxa0and intervention. Favorable psychometric properties have been established through Principle Components Analysis (PCA). Thexa0present study aimed to compare the structure established through PCA with that established through Exploratory Factor Analysisxa0(EFA) and to verify the indicators of validity and reliability produced by Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). A total of 2291xa0students of 6th, 7th and 8th years of Elementary Education and 1st and 2nd years of High School Education participated. The resultsxa0showed a factorial structure very similar to xa0that originally produced with PCA, with six oblique factors confirmed through CFAxa0and with suitable indicators of reliability. The IHSA-Del- rette presented psychometric qualities that recommend indicate its usexa0in the Brazilian context.