Social problem-solving and mild intellectual disabilities: relations with externalizing behavior and therapeutic context.
Relations among externalizing behavior, therapeutic context (community care vs. residential care), and social problem-solving by children with mild intellectual disabilities or borderline intelligence were examined. Participants were 186 children (12 to 14 years of age) who responded to a video-based social problem-solving task. Of these, 130 received residential care and the majority suffered from severe externalizing behavior problems. The results indicated that externalizing behavior was related to encoding, generation of aggressive responses, and negative evaluation of assertive responses. Therapeutic context was related to encoding, positive evaluation of assertive responses, and negative evaluation of aggressive responses. Results indicate a discrepancy between appropriate problem-solving skills and behavior in daily life. Implications for interventions are discussed.
van Nieuwenhuijzen
Maroesjka
M
Developmental Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands. m.vannieuwenhuijzen@uu.nl
de Castro
Bram Orobio
BO
Wijnroks
Lex
L
Vermeer
Adri
A
Matthys
Walter
W
D000293:Adolescent; D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology; D001242:Assertiveness; D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003156:Community Mental Health Services; D004519:Education, Special; D030141:Feedback, Psychological; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007100:Imitative Behavior; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D007360:Intelligence; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008297:Male; D010552:Personality Assessment; D011340:Problem Solving; D012114:Residential Treatment; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012919:Social Behavior; D012931:Social Environment; D012951:Socialization