The evaluation of a kindergarten social problem solving program

Abstract

The present study evaluated the effectiveness of a Social Problem Solving (SPS) competence training program for kindergartners, and examined relationships between SPS skill and adjustment gains. Subjects included 63 suburban middle-classSs from three classes, who participated in the 42 lesson program, and 46 comparisonSs from two classes, who did not. Subjects were evaluated on problem solving, peer sociometric and teacher adjustment ratings. Program children gave significantly more, and better, solutions, and fewer irrelevant responses to interpersonal problems. They also improved more than comparisonSs on several teacher-rated dimensions of adjustment. Direct linkages between skill and adjustment gains, however, were not found.

A comparison of the problem‐solving ability and adjustment of suburban and urban third‐grade children

“…Findings for theurban sample support Spivack et al's (1976) consistent demonstration that alternative solution thinking related to adjustment for black, inner-city children. That same linkage was not found in this study or in several others assessing relationships between alternative solution thinking and adjustment among suburban children (Krasnor & Rubin, Note 6;Winer et al, 1982;Gesten et al, 1982;Hopper, Note 7). On the other hand, means-ends thinking and social role-taking skills may be more important links to adjustment for suburban children of this age.…”

An Evaluation of Interpersonal Cognitive Problem Solving Training With Children*

“…In other words, the children who acquired new cognitive problem solving skills over the course of training may not have been the same children who made behavioral gains. Similar fmdings were reported by Winer et al (1982), who adopted Spivack and Shure's (1974) training program for use with predominantly white kindergarten children from suburban, middle-class families. Elardo and Caldwell (1979) reported more positive fmdings from their multifaceted training efforts with fourth-and fifth-grade children in a predominantly middle-class school.…”

“…Beginning as early as nursery school (Sharp, 1981) and extending at least into fourth grade (Elardo and Caldwell, 1979), children have consistently demonstrated the capacity to improve their performane on measures of cognitive problem solving. Moreover, both normal (Winer et al, 1982) and socially maladjusted children across a wide IQ range (Shure and Spivack, 1980) have been able to learn such skills. Classroom teachers (Allen et al, 1976), parents originally deficient themselves in problem solving skills (Shure and Spivack, 1978), and clinically experienced investigators (Urbain, 1980) have all been successful at fostering such cognitive gains.…”

Evaluation of a revised fourth grade social problem solving curriculum: Empathy as a moderator of adjustive gain

“…The initial early success of the SPS programs (Spivack & Shure, 1974;Spivack, Platt & Shure, 1976) resulted in the development of various classroom-based elementary-age SPS curricula (Elias & Clabby, 1982;Spivack & Shure, 1974;Weissberg, Gesten, Liebenstein, Doherty-Schmid & Hutton, 1980) which were accompanied and followed by numerous empirical studies to assess the effectiveness of such programs (Allen, Chinsky, Larcen, Lochman, & Selinger, 1976;McClure, Chinsky, & Larcen, 1978;Spivack, & Shure, 1974;Shure, & Spivack, 1978Weissberg et al, 1981aWeissberg et al, , 1981bWiner, Hilpert, Gesten, Cowen, & Schubin, 1982). These developments led to the further application of SPS curricula in many school settings across many age levels.…”