The social problem-solving skills of anxious-withdrawn children

Abstract

Abstract The purpose of this investigation was to contrast the social competencies of groups of extremely withdrawn and average children.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 Results indicated that (a) withdrawn children displayed fewer social problem-solving initiations, produced fewer socially assertive strategies, and were less successful in their attempts,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age-mates; (b) average children experienced fewer failures in meeting their social goals with increasing age but withdrawn children did not; (c) the discrepancy in failure rates for “high cost” social goals between the two target groups increased with increasing age; and (d) withdrawn children were less likely than average children to reinitiate a social problem-solving attempt subsequent to failure.