Effects of Family Related Factors on Social Behavior Problems of Six Years Old Children

Yıl 2007, Cilt: 51 Sayı: 51, 477 - 499, 01.02.2007

Dr. Serdal Seven

Öz

Summary During the past two decades, a convincing body of evidence has indicated that unless children achieve minimal social competence by about the age of 6, they have a high probability of being at risk social behavior problems later in their life. Recent research suggests that a child`s long-term social and emotional adaptation, academic and cognitive development, and citizenship are enhanced by opportunities to strengthen social competence during early childhood. Social competence refers to child's adaptation to social environment. Social competence is related to school achievement, social skills and peer relations. Developing social competences is a result of the interactions between child and environment. As a term, social skill is often used with reference to social competence, although social skill and social competence have different meanings. Social competence refers to the social, emotional, and cognitive skills and behaviors that children need for successful social adaptation. Social skills is a term used to describe the child`s knowledge of and ability to use a variety of social behaviors that are appropriate to a given interpersonal situation and that are pleasing to others in each situation. Acquisition deficits refer to absence of particular social skills from an individual's behavioral repertoire. This implies that the individual does not have the requisite knowledge to perform the social skill in question. On the other hand, when an individual has a social skills performance deficit, the individual can perform the social skill in question but does not perform the skill in the particular situation with acceptable frequency. Gresham and Elliot (1990) expanded this description into a four way classification scheme. This scheme incorporates two dimension of behavior: social skills and interfering behavior problems. Thus, children may have either acquisition or performance deficits with or without interfering problem behaviors. Interfering behaviors can be internalizing (e.g. anxiety, depression) or externalizing (e.g. aggression, impulsivity). These interfering behaviors are assumed to interfere with the acquisition and performance of social skills or both. This conception is important because it provides a framework to conceptualize social skills concerns and can also lead to effective strategies to improve one's social skills deficits. Across the age span from early childhood to adolescence, two major categories of problem behaviors have been identified in children. Those characterized by under control and those characterized by over control. Behaviors characterized by under control are typically high in annoyance value or the potential to hurt/harm others. These behaviors have been termed externalizing because they are expressed outward against others or have an impact on the child's environment. Examples include over activity, tantrums, fighting, destructive behavior and disobedience. Behaviors reflecting over control also tend to cluster together. They have been termed as internalized, because they are reflected in social withdrawn, fear, unhappiness and anxiety and represent self-focused expressions of distress. Although, many factors have been defined for explaining problem behavior, family factors are considered important among these factors. Demographic variables also have been associated with preschool and kindergarten behavior problems. Family demographic factors may include gender, family size, socioeconomic status, parental employment, parental education status, number of sibling, birth order etc. The purpose of this study is to determine the significant differences in social problem behaviors of six years old children by family related demographic factors. Method The sample of this study was 110 six years old children from elementary schools' preschool classes in Muş province of Turkey. This is a descriptive study using survey method to collect data. Data were collected by Social Skills Rating System (SSRS/PB) Behavior Problem Teacher Form scale. This scale's validity and reliability study for adaptation to Turkish was performed by researcher. One way ANOVA and t-test were used to examine effects of family related demographic factors on social problem behaviors of six years old children. Social Skills Rating System Problem Behavior Teacher Form was developed by Gresham and Elliott (1990). The Social Skills Rating System (SSRS) provides a multi-raterassessment of child's social behaviors that influence the developmentof social competence and adaptive functioning. Problem Behaviors Scale, measures behaviors that can interfere with the development of positive social skills. It assesses behavior in three subscales: 1. Externalizing Problems, such as aggressive acts and poor temper control. 2. Internalizing Problems, such as sadness and anxiety. 3. Hyperactivity, such as fidgeting and impulsive acts. The social skills rating system was standardized on a national sample of 4.170 children. Internal consistency is .86 for Social skills rating system Elementary problem behaviors scale teacher version. In addition, for subscales internal consistencies computed as .86 and .82. SSRS/PB teacher form is adapted to Turkish in this research. 200 Students from primary school's preschool classes participated for adapting the scale. To provide content and understandability, the scale was examined by seven experts and English to Turkish and Turkish to English translation convenience of scale by two experts in English. The factor structure of scale was examined with EFA (Exploratory Factor Analysis). The variance of two factors were computed as % 52,1. For reliability of the scale, Cronbach Alpha coefficient (.87) and Spearman Brown split-half correlation (.92) were computed. Lower and upper % 27 groups' score differences were supplied by calculating t-test. Results and Discussions Results of this study support previous research findings indicating an association between social problem behaviors and family related factors.Statistically significant differences were found in problem behaviors by gender, parents' employment, socioeconomic status and number of siblings. No significant differences were found in problem behaviors by family size, parents' education and birth order. For subscales of the SSRS/PB, significant differences were observed in internalized problem behaviors by parents' employment and number of siblings. Significant differences were also found in externalized problem behaviors by gender and number of siblings. These findings show that children display internalized behavior problems such as withdrawn, fear, unhappiness, anxiety and distress more than externalized problem behaviors such as destructive, fight, anger and disobedience. This study supported the hypothesis that boys display more problem behaviors then girls. This finding may be interpreted as social environment's role expectations from boys may lead to more problem behaviors for boys. Although there were significant differences in social problem behaviors by number of siblings, no significant differences were observed by family type. It was expected that children in large families would show more problem behaviors, but this was not supported by research findings. Significant differences were observed in both externalized and internalized problem behaviors by number of siblings. Problem behaviors increased as the number of siblings increased. Employed mothers' children have less problem behavior than unemployed mothers' children. This finding may be associated with more preschool opportunities for employed mothers' children. Significant differences in problem behaviors were also observed by socioeconomic status of parents. These two findings should be interpreted together, as employment status is also related with socio-economic status. Results of the study provide evidence to guide educators and parents struggling to reduce problem behaviors in early childhood.

Anahtar Kelimeler

social behavior problems , behavior problems , family related factors

Ailesel Faktörlerin Altı Yaş Çocuklarının Sosyal Davranış Problemlerine Etkisi

Öz

Bu araştırmanın amacı,altı yaşındaki anasınıfı öğrencilerinin sosyal davranış problemleri üzerinde ailesel faktörlerin etkisini belirlemektir. Araştırmanın evrenini Muş Merkez İlçedeki ilköğretim okullarının anasınıfları; örneklemini ise bu okulların dördünde bulunan altı yaşındaki 110 anasınıfı öğrencisi oluşturmaktadır. Araştırmada bilgi toplama aracı olarak Sosyal Beceri Değerlendirme Sistemi Davranış Problemi Bölümü Öğretmen Formu (SBDS/DP-ÖF) kullanılmıştır. Öğretmen gözlemine dayalı olan bu ölçeğin, bu araştırma kapsamında geçerlik ve güvenilirlik çalışmaları yapılmıştır. Araştırmanın çözümlenmesinde yüzde, frekans, t-testi ve tek faktörlü ANOVA kullanılmıştır. Bulgulara göre; sosyal davranış problemleri cinsiyet, kardeş sayısı, annenin çalışma durumu ve ailenin sosyo-ekonomik durumuna göre anlamlı farklılıklar göstermiştir. Alt faktörler incelendiğinde ise içselleşmiş davranış problemleri annenin çalışma durumu ve kardeş sayısına; dışsallaşmış davranış problemleri de cinsiyet ve kardeş sayısına göre farklılık göstermiştir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

sosyal davranış problemi , davranış problemi , ailesel faktörler

Kaynakça

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• Muş Alparslan Üniversitesi
• Eğitim Fakültesi Muş
• e-mail: [e-mail]
• Alındığı tarih/Received: 28/07/2006
• Düzeltme/Revision: 24/02/2007
• İkinci düzeltme/Second revision: 17/04/2007
• Kabul/Approved: 24/06/2007