A social goals perspective on children's social competence

Developing a more comprehensive understanding of social competence and the reasons for social relationship difficulties requires attention to the kind s of goals children are pursuing in specific social situations. In this art icle, the authors describe several theoretical models of social information processing, each of which includes goals as a crucial component in motivat ing children's behavior. The authors also review evidence from studies of c hildren who are aggressive, withdrawn/submissive, or prosocial that points to an association between children's goals, their strategies for coping wit h problematic social tasks, and their ultimate success or failure in social relationships. Attention is also given to various social-cognitive process es that may be linked to children's tendencies to formulate adaptive versus maladaptive goals. Finally, the implications of a social goals perspective for interventions with children with emotional and behavioral problems is discussed.