A model describing the cognitive processes in which a child must engage in order to respond competently in social situations is presented in this document as the framework for several series of studies dealing with provocation by peers. A major tenet of the model is that in order to perform competently in a social situation the child must first…

This study examined the ability of 56 children with mental retardation and 58 children (grades 1-5) without mental retardation to perform two key social cognitive processes: social perception (the encoding and interpretation of social cues) and the generation of strategies for resolving social conflicts. These processes were assessed as children…

The social responsibility theory of the press is usually considered to be a twentieth century development. According to this theory, one of the five major missions of mass communications is to raise social conflict from the plane of violence to the place of discussion. To achieve this, the media should serve as a forum for the exchange of comment…

Although many studies have examined the competencies associated with being well-liked by the peer group, far less is known about the competencies children need in order to make and maintain good quality friendships. This study addressed friendship tasks, investigating 5 of 10 previously hypothesized competencies necessary to make and maintain good…

Examined were relationships between children's popularity and: (1) the types of solutions children generated to common social dilemmas; (2) what they reported they would do in similar situations; (3) their statements regarding conflict participants' intent; and (4) what they expected to happen next in conflict situations. Subjects were 95…

Historically, Americans have employed the rhetorical motif "reaffirmation of principle" to cope with the social evils in their midst. This concept refers to the tendency of groups to respond to outside hostility by regrouping and reaffirming their ethos through a form of self-address. Reaffirmation of principle, like managerial rhetoric,…

Social and cognitive theories indicate that conflict plays an important role in an individual's psychological development. Research findings bearing on this conundrum provide initial hints about what social conflict in children is like and how it relates to characteristics of the child, but the short and long term positive and negative effects of…

Forty second and third grade children identified by their teachers as aggressive were randomly assigned to a child problem solving skills training (PSST) or teacher consultation. PSST consisted of 20 45-minute sessions of three to five children, held twice weekly at school. Teacher consultation involved four 30-minute individual sessions.…

This study examined the effects of a cross-age training program on the interpersonal conceptions of the students serving as trainers. A total of 24 sixth graders participated in the study, 12 in the training group and 12 in the control group which received no training. The training group met twice a week, once to lead dilemma discussion groups…

Although the importance of social skill to interactions with others has long been recognized for clinical individuals, such skills are also of benefit to non-clinical populations. To investigate the potential relationships between social skill and interpersonal conflict resolution tactics, 287 college students (140 males and 147 females) completed…

Friendships of early adolescence are generally accepted as having special significance for psychological development. This study was conducted to examine the sources of conflict between friends during early adolescence; to assess the social-cognitive developmental level of early adolescents; and to explore the relationships among sources of…

This study sought to validate two measures of social cognitive development: a measure of conflict resolution (Shantz and Shantz, 1982), and a social rule measure (Shantz, 1982). Participants were 214 kindergarten through fourth grade children from two suburban schools, one a public school and the other a Catholic parochial school in the Chicago…

Noting the call for research that links argument theory with negotiation, this paper examines the nature and function of argument negotiation in current organizational bargaining research theories. Five perspectives are extrapolated to define "argument" and demonstrate how different viewpoints can affect understanding of the negotiation…

This paper addresses the use of one technique, role play, in the resolution of conflictual situations at various levels in the school system. While a variety of options for dealing with conflict are discussed, primary emphasis is given to that method which resolves the conflict and leaves the relationship intact. The method of role play and its…

An interview measure of social-cognitive skills that have been found to discriminate aggressive and nonaggressive children was developed. The interview was administered to 25 second and third grade children identified by teachers as nonaggressive and 50 second and third grade children identified by teachers as aggressive and referred to an…