Social skills of children from Northern Argentina in vulnerable conditions

LACUNZA, A.

Positive Psychology in Latin American countries

Springer

Lugar: New York; Año: 2014; p. 213 - 229

The study of social behaviors is relevant to the promotion of psychological health of children and adolescents. In recent decades, studies in social skills have shown a connection between social competence, mental and physical health, when considering the repertoire of social skills as a protective factor, as an indicator of healthy development and quality of life, besides being a significant predictor of academic performance. There is evidence that those social skills that enable mutually satisfactory relationships, promote prosocial behavior and greater welfare. Thus, their identification is essential for the development of strength and positive capacities. The purpose of this chapter is to describe three studies focusing on the assessment of social skills among children living in the northwestern region of Argentina. . The first study involves the design and validation of a heteroinform and a recordobservation for children between 3 and 5 years old; the second analyzes the relationship between dysfunctional behaviors and social skills of children enrolled in the initial level; and the latter proposes a design of intervention in social skills for children of school age. These studies highlight the role of context in the expression of social behaviors, therefore, the emphasis of the investigations referred to, falls in urban poverty contexts. We conclude by critically analyzing the scope and limitations of the empirical evidence described and its contributions to the individual´s ability to cope, resist and even learn, grow and build interpersonal relationships under the most adverse situations.