Jason knows that his clothes, shoes, hairstyle, and the way he carries himself say a lot about him. In fact, Jason’s behavior illustrates how an individual’s non-verbal abilities in social interactions are at least as important as the words and statements he/she uses (verbal pragmatics). For instance, when Jason and his friends meet at the bus stop, they use non-language abilities to start and maintain their social interaction. These non-verbal skills, when combined with verbal pragmatic skills, strongly affect a student’s ability to relate to others, and to start and maintain friendships. To learn more about the non-verbal skills that contribute to social cognition, click on one of the topics below.
Necessary SubSkills | Common Obstacles | Helpful Tips |
---|---|---|
Student is able to greet others, to successfully start a conversation or enter a group interaction. | Student is unable to greet others, e.g., to start a conversation or enter a group interaction successfully. | view |
Student is effective at the give and take of friendships and relationships. | Student is unable to share or engage in give and take with friends and others. | view |
Student is able to reinforce others, to make them feel good about themselves. | Student is able to reinforce others, to make them feel good about themselves. | view |
Student is able to take the perspective of another, to see how other people are feeling or thinking. | Student is unable to take the perspective of another, or to understand how they are feeling or thinking. | view |
Student is able to initiate friendships or interactions in an indirect manner. | Student is unable to initiate interactions in an indirect manner. | view |
Student uses body language and movement to communicate positive and compatible feelings. | Student is not adept at using non-verbal cues, e.g., is unaware that his/her body language communicates negative messages to others. | view |
Student is able to maintain a balanced level of control in a social interaction or relationship, e.g., is neither too passive nor too aggressive. | Student is either too passive, or too domineering within social interactions or relationships. | view |
Student is able to resolve problems or conflicts without resorting to aggression. | Student resorts to aggression when problems or conflicts arise with others. | view |
Student is able to pace the sequence of events related to the development of a friendship. | Student moves too slowly or quickly when establishing relationships with others. | view |
Student monitors and understands the feedback he/she gets from others during interactions. | Student does not monitor the reactions he/she gets or the feedback he receives from others during social interactions. | view |
Student is able to communicate a socially acceptable image to others. | Student projects an unacceptable image to others. | view |
Student uses strategies for recuperation when he/she experiences a social setback or failure. | Student has no strategies to repair social mistakes, or is unable to recuperate from social failures. | view |