Practicing Social Skills Training for Young Children with Low Peer Acceptance: A Cognitive-Social Learning Model

Peer acceptance during early childhood is related to children's academic achievement, adjustment in school, and even psychological well-being in adulthood. Children who experience low peer acceptance exhibit socially inappropriate behavior patterns, which are associated with irrelevant patterns of information processing. Therefore, as a way of helping children with low peer acceptance, a cognitive-social learning model of social skills training has been used because the model focuses on cognitive changes as well as behavioral changes. Three parts of the social skills training—enhancing skill concepts, promoting skill performance, and fostering skill maintenance/generalization—are discussed. In order to be successful, a trainer should understand the training model as well as behavioral patterns of children with low peer acceptance to provide theory-based and individualized feedback to each participant.