Development and Psychopathology

Table of Contents - 1995 - Volume 7, Issue 02  

Articles

The social problem-solving skills of anxious-withdrawn children

Shannon L. Stewarta1 c1 and Kenneth H. Rubina1

a1 University of Waterloo

Abstract

The purpose of this investigation was to contrast the social competencies of groups of extremely withdrawn and average children. Fifty-five kindergarten, Grade 2 and Grade 4 children were observed during dyadic play in a laboratory setting. Results indicated that (a) withdrawn children displayed fewer social problem-solving initiations, produced fewer socially assertive strategies, and were less successful in their attempts, compared to their more sociable age-mates; (b) average children experienced fewer failures in meeting their social goals with increasing age but withdrawn children did not; (c) the discrepancy in failure rates for “high cost” social goals between the two target groups increased with increasing age; and (d) withdrawn children were less likely than average children to reinitiate a social problem-solving attempt subsequent to failure.

Correspondence:

c1 Shannon L. Stewart, Department of Psychology, CPRI, 600 Sanatorium Rd., London, Ontario N6H 3W7, Canada.