Browsing by Subject "Social competence"
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Item Parental confirmation and emerging adult children’s body image : self-concept and social competence as mediators(2016-08) Taniguchi, Emiko; Dailey, René M.; Vangelisti , Anita L; Donovan, Erin; Neff, Lisa A; Whittaker, TiffanyAlthough the role of family factors in the development of body image is well documented, the mechanism of how family interactions are related to body image remains inadequately understood. Moreover, extant body image literature examining the role of family factors has largely focused on mother-daughter relationships, limiting our understanding on fathers’ roles and sons’ experiences. The purpose of this project was to address limitations in extant literature from a communicative perspective. Based on confirmation theory (Dailey, 2010), this project examined (a) how each component of parental confirmation (acceptance and challenge) was individually and interactively related to emerging adults’ body image, (b) how these associations were mediated by social competence and self-concept, and (c) how hypothesized links differed by parental and child sex. Male and female college students (N = 447; 319 females) responded to a series of online surveys. Collectively, the results provided general support for the proposed mediation model. There were minimal child sex differences, whereas there were some differences in hypothesized associations depending on the parental sex. For mothers’ communication behaviors, the positive association between mother acceptance and body image was fully mediated by social competence and self-concept together, and mother challenge enhanced the positive effect of mother acceptance on body image through self-concept (but not through social competence). In terms of fathers’ communication behaviors, the positive association between father acceptance and body image was partially mediated by self-concept. Further, father acceptance and father challenge interacted to predict body image directly, without being mediated by the proposed mediators, such that father challenge enhanced the positive effect of father acceptance on body image. Altogether, the findings of this study suggest that acceptance and challenge are associated with emerging adults’ body image through a somewhat different mechanism depending on parent sex (but not child sex). This research underscores the utility of employing a confirmation perspective in understanding the mechanisms of how family interactions are related to body image.Item Social competence in children and adolescents with nonverbal learning disabilities(2011-08) Cottrell, Ayiesha Lukong; Semrud-Clikeman, Margaret; Carlson, Cindy I., 1949-Children and adolescents with Nonverbal Learning Disabilities (NVLD) commonly experience severe social and academic difficulties. Youth with NVLD lack social competence. They display poor social perception and find it challenging to appropriately attend to the facial expressions, prosody, and body language of others. Children with NVLD are often unable to accurately interpret social exchanges. Subsequently, they have trouble determining which behaviors to enact and tend to respond to social situations with inappropriate or atypical behaviors. As a result, they are repeatedly isolated, neglected, and ostracized by their peers (Little, 1993). These negative experiences correspond with elevated levels of anxiety, depression, and suicide attempts (Fletcher, 1989; Rourke, Young & Leenars, 1989). This study sought to gain a greater understanding of how youth with NVLD process social information as their poor performance in this area increases the likelihood that they will experience detrimental life outcomes. This study examined the perspectives of children with NVLD and the perspectives of their primary caretakers and teachers. Participants consisted of 12 children with NVLD between the ages nine and 13. A parent and teacher of each child also participated. Data was collected via interviews, observations, and field notes. Grounded theory methodology was used to analyze data for significant themes and trends. Data analysis generated rich theory regarding how children with NVLD understand social interactions and nonverbal communication. Key traits of those with NVLD are detailed and findings indicate that communication across parties promotes social development.Item Social competence, peer victimization, and depression in young adults with high-functioning autism spectrum disorders(2013-08) Stark, Kate Harris; Allen, Greg, doctor of clinical psychologyThe goal of this study was to examine the contributing factors to depression in young adult males with high-functioning autism spectrum disorders (HFASD) and controls. Specifically, this study examined the relationship between recalled relational peer victimization, self-perceived social competence, global self-worth, and symptoms of depression in individuals with HFASD compared to normal controls. Depression is one of the most prevalent comorbid conditions in the HFASD population. Individuals with autism are also subjected to high rates of peer victimization. Given that social abilities are impaired in individuals with autism, it was hypothesized that their experiences with victimization by peers, along with their self-perceived social competence and global self-worth, would help explain levels of depression. It was expected that higher levels of peer victimization, lower levels of self-perceived social competence, and lower levels of global self-worth would explain higher levels of depression. Additionally, it was expected that self-perceived social competence would mediate the effect of peer victimization on depression, global self-worth would mediate the effect of peer victimization on depression, and global self-worth would mediate the effect of self-perceived social competence on depression. Variables were measured with self-report questionnaires. Multiple regression and bootstrapping measures of indirect effects were used to examine the presumed effects. Participants included 40 males, ages 18-26; there were 21 control participants and 19 individuals with HFASDs. Individuals with HFASD had significantly higher levels of depressive symptoms, lower levels of self-perceived social competence, lower levels of global self-worth, and a trend towards higher reports of peer victimization. Multiple regression analyses determined that peer victimization, global self-worth, and self-perceived social competence significantly predicted depressive symptoms in the total sample. Also, peer victimization significantly predicted self-perceived social competence and global self-worth. Additionally, self-perceived social competence significantly predicted global self-worth. Tests of indirect effects indicated that global self-worth mediated the effect of peer victimization on depression, self-perceived competence mediated the effect of peer victimization on depression, and global self-worth mediated the effect of self-perceived competence on depression. As a follow-up, this study also examined select HFASD participants' responses about how they defined bullying, as well as their perceived experiences with victimization.