Abstract
This study discusses the educational effects of a social skills training on adolescents’ social skills, self-esteem, well-being and coping. A group of 14- to 16-year-old normal adolescents followed a social skills training based on social learning principles. A pre-test — experiment — post-test design was used and the group’s performance was compared with that of a non-intervention control-group. The training was given at school, and the data were collected by means of self-report measures. The results show that the training was successful in several respects: the adolescents’ social anxiety decreased, their social activity increased, their self-esteem improved, and they made more use of adequate coping-strategies. The implications of the results for different sub-groups of adolescents are discussed. Critical attention is also given to two other issues: the type of assessment used and the short-term nature of the evaluation.
Résumé
Cette étude concerne les effets éducatifs d’un entraînement de compétences sociales sur les compétences sociales d’adolescents, leur estime de soi, leur sentiment de bien être et leur “coping”. Des adolescents normaux de 14 à 16 ans ont suivi un entraînement aux compétences basé sur les principes de l’apprentissage social. Dans le cadre d’un paradigme pré-test/entraînement expérimental/post-test, on a comparé les performances du groupe entraîné à celles d’un groupe-contrôle sans intervention. L’entraînement a été effectué à l’école et les données ont été recueillies au moyens de questionnaires sur soi. Les résultats montrent que l’entraînement a eu des effets bénéfiques de différents types: l’anxiété sociale des adolescents a diminué, leur activité sociale a augmenté, leur estime de soi s’est améliorée, et ils utilisent davantage de stratégies d’affrontement adaptées. Les auteurs discutent les implications de leurs résultats pour différents sous groupes d’adolescents. Une attention critique est accordée par ailleurs à deux autres points: le type d’évaluation utilisée et le délai entre l’entraînement et l’évaluation.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Apter, A., Aviv, A., Kariner, Y., Weizman, A., Lerman, P., & Tyano, S. (1991). Behavioral profile and social competence in temporal lobe epilepsy of adolescence.Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 30, 887–892.
Bandura, A. (1977).Social learning theory. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall.
Beelmann, A., Pfingsten, U., & Lösel, F. (1994). Effects of training social competence in children: A meta-analysis of recent evaluation-studies.Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 23, 260–271.
Bellack, A.S. (1979). Behavioral assessment of social skills. In A.S. Bellack & M. Hersen (Eds.),Research and practice in social skills training (pp. 75–104). New York: Plenum Press.
Bellack, A.S., Hersen, M., & Lamparsky, D. (1979). Role play tests for assessing social skills: Are they valid? Are they useful?Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 47, 335–342.
Bijstra, J.O., Bosma, H.A. & Jackson, S. (1994a). The relationship between social skills and psycho-social functioning in early adolescence.Personality and Individual Differences, 767–776.
Bijstra, J.O., Jackson, S., & Bosma, H.A. (1994b). De Utrechtse Coping Lijst voor Adolescenten.Kind en Adolescent, 15, 98–109.
Bijstra, J.O., & Oostra, L. (1995). Sociale vaardigheid van adolescenten in kaart ebracht.Kind en Adolescent, 16, 244–253.
Bijstra, J.O., Kooi, H.P. van der, & Oostra, L. (1995). Interventies in de psychosociale ontwikkeling in de adolescentie. In R. Sanderman, W.J.A. van den Heuvel, & B. Krol (Eds.),Intervenieren in de determinanten van gezondheid: Resultaten van een onderzoeksprogramma (pp. 187–205). Assen: Van Gorcum.
Bulkeley, R., & Cramer, D. (1990). Social skills training with young adolescents.Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 19, 451–463.
Cantril, H. (1965).The pattern of human concerns. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press.
Christopher, J.S., Nangle, D.W., & Hansen, D.J. (1993). Social skills interventions with adolescents: Current issues and procedures.Behavior Modification, 17, 314–338.
De Armas, A., & Kelly, J.A. (1989). Social relationships in adolescence: Skill development and training. In J. Worell & F. Danner (Eds.),The adolescent as decision-maker: Applications to development and education (pp. 83–109). San Diego: Academic Press.
Dworkin, R.H., Bernstein, G., Kaplansky, L.M., Lipsitz, J.D., Rinaldi, A., Slater, S.L., Cornblatt, B.A., & Erlenmeyer-Kimling, L. (1991). Social competence and positive and negative symptoms: A longitudinal study of children and adolescents at risk for schizophrenia and affective disorder.American Journal of Psychiatry, 148, 1182–1188.
Furnham, A. (1986). Social skills training with adolescents and young adults. In C.R. Hollin & P. Trower (Eds.),Handbook of social skills training (pp. 33–58) Oxford: Pergamon Press.
Goldberg, D.P., & Williams, P. (1988).A user’s guide to the General Health Questionnaire. Berkshire: NFER-Nelson Publishing Company.
Goldstein, A.P. (1981). Psychological skill training: The structured-learning technique. New York: Pergamon Press.
Harter, S. (1990). Causes, correlates, and the functional role of global self-worth: A life-span perspective. In R.J. Sternberg & J. Kolligian (Eds.),Competence considered (pp. 67–97). New Haven & London: Yale University Press.
Jackson, A.E. (1989). L’aide aux jeunes en difficulté: Le role possible de l’école (Help for adolescents in difficulty: The possible role of the school).L’Orientation: Scolaire et Professionnelle, 18, 337–350.
Jackson, A.E. (1994). Développement et changement à la pré-adolescence: Un enjeu pour l’école (Development and change in early adolescence: A challenge for the school). In M. Bolignini, B. Blancherel, R. Nunez, & W. Bettschart (Eds.),Pré-adolescence: Théorie recherche et clinique (pp. 131–144). Paris: Editions Sociales de France.
Jackson, A.E. (1995). Adolescent identity development and social context: Towards an integrative perspective. In A. Oosterwegel & R.A. Wicklund (Eds.),The self in European and North American culture: Development and processes (pp. 33–44). Amsterdam: Kluwer.
Jackson, A.E. (1997). Panorama sur le développement social à l’adolescence. In H. Rodriguez-Tomé, A.E. Jackson, & F. Bariaud (Eds.),Regards actuels sur l’adolescence (pp. 79–108). Paris: Presses Universitaires de France.
Ladd, G.W., & Mize, J. (1983). A cognitive-social learning model of social skill training.Psychological Review, 90, 127–157.
Magnusson, D. (1988).Individual development from an interactional perspective. Hillsdale: Erlbaum.
Margalit, M. (1995). Effects of social skills training for students with an intellectual disability.International Journal of Disability, Development and Education, 42, 75–85.
McGee, R., & Stanton, W.R. (1992). Sources of distress among New Zealand adolescents.Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 33, 999–1010.
Ozonoff, S., & Miller, J.N. (1995). Teaching theory of mind: A new approach to social skills training for individuals with autism.Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 25, 415–433.
Patterson, G. (1964). An empirical approach to the classification of disturbed children.Journal of Clinical Psychology, 20, 326–337.
Reed, M.K. (1994). Social skills training to reduce depression in adolescents.Adolescence, 29, 293–302.
Rutter, M. (1989). Pathways from childhood to adult life.Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 30, 23–51.
Rutter, M., Graham, P., Chadwick, O.F.D., & Yule, W. (1976). Adolescent turmoil: Fact or fiction.Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 17, 33–56.
Schneider, B.H. (1992). Didactic methods for enhancing children’s peer relations: A quantitaive review.Clinical Psychology Review, 12, 363–382.
Straathof, M.A.E., & Treffers, Ph.D.A. (1989).De adolescentenversie van de CBSK. Oegstgeest: Academisch Centrum Kinder- en Jeugdpsychiatrie Curium.
Valliant, P.M., Jensen, B., & Raven-Brook, L. (1995). Brief cognitive behavioural therapy with male adolescent offenders in open custody or on probation: An evaluation of management of anger.Psychological Reports, 76, 1056–1058.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Bijstra, J.O., Jackson, S. Social skills training with early adolescents: Effects on social skills, well-being, self-esteem and coping. Eur J Psychol Educ 13, 569–583 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03173106
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03173106