An InvesBgaBon of Gender and Social Skills Differences Within Academics Amy Litz, M.Ed & Jocelyn Newton, Ph.D., NCSP University of Wisconsin-­‐La Crosse Abstract Method Social skills are important for the daily interactions
of students and appear to be related to academic
success. Gender differences in social skills also
appear to be related to academic success. This
study investigates the difference in academics as a
function of self-reported social skills and gender in
high school students. This presentation will inform
attendees about the importance of social skills
instruction and provide information to benefit social
skills interventions based on gender.
Participants:
•  110 high school students from a Midwestern High
School completed the survey
•  52 males (49.5%) and 55 (50.5%) females
participated in the survey
•  Participants consisted of 34 Freshman, 32
Sophomores, 33 Juniors, and 11 Seniors
Literature Review •  Social skills are defined as “learned behaviors
that promote positive interactions while
simultaneously discouraging negative
interactions, when applied to appropriate social
situations”(Gresham & Elliott, 2008).
•  Strong social skills can lead to resiliency, which
also helps students develop safe and appropriate
problem solving skills (National Association of
School Psychologists, 2002).
•  Students’ early prosocial behavior during third
grade is a predictor of academic achievement in
eighth grade (Caprara, Barbaranelli, Pastorelli,
Bandura, & Zimbardo, 2000).
•  As compared to males, female elementary school
students demonstrate more social and behavioral
skills, providing females with an academic
advantage (DiPretea & Jennings, 2011).
Purpose of Current Study
The current study will investigate differences in
high school students' academic performance
based on social skills and gender.
RESEARCH POSTER PRESENTATION DESIGN © 2012
www.PosterPresentations.com
Procedure:
•  A parent notification letter was sent home with
all participants.
•  Parents had one week to return the form if they
did not wish for their child to participate in the
study. Participant assent also occurred before
handing out the surveys.
•  Researchers distributed the surveys to the
students using a script.
Instrumentation:
•  Social Skills were measured using the Perceived
Social Competence Scale (Anderson-Butcher,
Iachini, & Amorose, 2008). α = .85
•  Academic achievement was measured using selfreported grades in the areas of math, English,
science, and social studies to a calculate a
pseudo-GPA .
Results: QuanBtaBve Analyses A 2x2 analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to
examine the impact of social skills (high/low
grouping) and gender (male/female) on academic
achievement
•  Interaction effects were not significant.
•  Participants did not differ significantly in
academic achievement as a function of gender,
F (1,2.68) = .01, p = .10
•  Participants did not differ significantly in
academic achievement as a function of social
skills, F (1,.009) = .01, p = .92
Results: QuanBtaBve Analyses, cont. Academic Achievement 4 3.5 3 2.5 2 1.5 1 0.5 0 Male Female Low Social Skills High Social Skills Results: QualitaBve Analyses Participants also responded to three qualitative
questions to measure their perceptions of social
skills in relation to academic achievement.
1. How have group projects affected your learning either posi/vely or nega/vely? 14% Discussion and LimitaBon •  Overall, quantitative results to examine
differences in academic achievement based on
gender and social skills were not significant
within this sample, which contradicts prior
research.
•  While social skills was not found to be a
significant indicator, participants did report that
asking questions, focusing, and listening during
class leads to a better understanding of the
curriculum.
•  Participants reported positive experiences
in group projects which may tie back to
asking questions, focusing, and listening
skills.
•  Future research should more broadly investigate
social skills (i.e., to include academic social
skills).
•  School psychologists can use this information to
help struggling high school students develop selfmonitoring skills in focusing, listening, and asking
questions.
References 54% 32% Posi/vely Nega/vely Both 2. Why do you think it is important to ask questions
during class?
•  Increase understanding(N=86)
•  Helps others that are too shy to ask (N=5)
3. What skills do you think help students do better
in school?
•  Listening and Focusing in class (N=26)
•  Studying (N=23)
•  Organization (N=13)
•  Social skills and working with others (N=10)
Anderson-Butcher, D., Iachini, A. L., & Amorose, J. (2008). Initial reliability and validity of the perceived social
competence scale. Research on Social Work
Practice, 18, 47-54. DOI: 10.1177/1049731507304364.
Caprara, G., Barbaranelli, C., Pastorelli, C., Bandura, A.,
& Zimbardo, P.G. (2000). Prosocial foundations of
children’s academic achievement. Psychological
Science (Wiley-Blackwell), 11(4), 302.
DiPretea, T.A., & Jennings, J.L. (2011). Social and
behavioral skills and the gender gap in early
educational achievement. Social Science Research ,
41, 1-15.doi: 10.1016/j.ssresearch.2011.09.001.
Gresham, F.M., & Elliott, S. N. (2008). Social Skills
Improvement System: Rating Scales Manual.
Minneapolis, MN: Pearson.
Acknowledgements University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Graduate Studies
Office for support of the research project.