Social skills training programs are interventions in which children are taught specific, discrete behaviors that can facilitate effective social interactions, like making eye contact and asking appropriate questions. Assessments of these interventions indicate that they have modest success in improving peer acceptance. Which of these is the best description of a major shortcoming of these intervention programs?

Question

Social skills training programs are interventions in which children are taught specific, discrete behaviors that can facilitate effective social interactions, like making eye contact and asking appropriate questions. Assessments of these interventions indicate that they have modest success in improving peer acceptance. Which of these is the best description of a major shortcoming of these intervention programs?

A. Socially unskilled children are already perceived in biased ways by peers, and that perception is not being addressed by the intervention.
B. Social skills are not the problem. Children who experience low peer acceptance usually already have adequate social skills.
C. These programs are introduced too late. Social skills training must be done much earlier than the middle childhood or adolescent years to have any real effect.
D. Socially unskilled children are not capable of learning these basic skills, because their problems stem from a difficult temperament.

I selected A. do you agree

Answer 1

Yes, I agree with your choice of option A as the best description of a major shortcoming of these intervention programs. Option A suggests that socially unskilled children are already perceived in biased ways by their peers, and this perception is not being addressed by the intervention. In other words, these programs may overlook the social biases and preconceived notions that peers may have towards socially unskilled children, which can limit the effectiveness of the intervention. The interventions primarily focus on teaching discrete behaviors but fail to address the underlying social perceptions and attitudes that exist within peer groups.

I agree.