Rubin, K. H., Daniels-Beirness, T., & Bream, L. (1984). Social isolation and social problem solving: A longitudinal study. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 52(1), 17-25.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0022-006X.52.1.17
Investigated the social problem-solving (SPS) abilities of 72 children who were observed to interact infrequently with their peers. In Study 1, the stability of isolate and social behavior was examined. Ss were administered an SPS test in kindergarten and again in Grade 1, and relations between the observed frequency of isolate and social play and SPS were computed. Isolate and social behaviors were found to be moderately stable from kindergarten to Grade 1. Moreover, both quantitative and qualitative indexes of SPS competence correlated (concurrently and predictively) in a negative direction with the observed frequency of isolate play and in a positive direction with social play. In Study 2, the relations between frequency of isolate and social play and naturalistic SPS skills were examined. The data revealed that nonassertive, compliant SPS strategies observed in kindergarten correlated concurrently, but moderately, with isolate play in kindergarten and predictively with isolate play in Grade 1. (27 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)