Social Skills Training

Social Skills Training

Social Skills Training

By Emily Peck, SSW Intern

Social skills are everyday strategies and techniques that we use to communicate effectively. Social skills are used to help create relationships with others and are needed in order to keep those relationships. Social skills training involves teaching and practicing these strategies, such as basic communication, interpersonal and behavioural skills (Ivey, Ivey, & Zalaquett, 2009).  Social skills training can be modified for teaching almost any interpersonal skill, such as listening, assertiveness, job-interviewing procedures, sharing, drug-refusal skills, problem solving, self-esteem, conflict resolution, respect and more (Ivey et al., 2009). In a social skills group a specific social skill is identified, there is a discussion of the behaviours and techniques needed to master the skill, participants practice the skill with peers and finally are encouraged to apply their new skill to other areas of their lives (Ivey et al., 2009).

Ivey et al. (2009) cite a study by Van der Molen (1984, 2006) which found that by using social skills training people who were initially shy and avoidant learned to be more socially outgoing. Ivey et al. (2009) also cite a study by Pfiffner and McBurnett (1997) who found that through social skills training children with attention deficit disorder became less disruptive. Many examples of the effectiveness social skills training can be found and are the reason why it is so widely used today.

Ivey, A., Ivey, M., & Zalaquett, C. (2009). Intentional interviewing and counseling: Facilitating client development in a multicultural society. Belmont, California: Cengage Learning.