Social Competent Analysis

Competence can be defined as the ability to do something well or effectively. In the same context, social competence is defined as one’s ability to effectively engage in social interactions. According to Ma (2012), there are three aspects to social competence, which are the ability to deal with interpersonal conflicts and develop positive interpersonal relationship, the establishment of a clear self-identity and group identity, and the inclination of being a responsible and serving citizen in one’s society. The ability to develop positive relationships with different people in society serves as a very important aspect that affects the overall development of an average person, especially children and adolescents who go through different developmental

(2002), cognitive competence refers to the ability to develop and apply the cognitive skills of self-talk, the reading and interpretation of social-cues, using steps for problem-solving and decision-making, understanding the perspective of others, understanding behavioral norms, a positive attitude toward life, and self awareness. Social competence is interrelated with cognitive competence in a positive way, meaning that as the cognitive competence rises, social competence also rises, and vice versa. M. H. Beauchamp and Anderson introduced a model called “The Socio-Cognitive Integration of Abilities Model (SOCIAL),” which assumes that the development of social skills is dependent on one’s cognitive functions. According to M.H. Beauchamp and Anderson (2010), the model has two components, the first one is the mediator, and the second one is the cognitive function. The mediator refers to environmental factors, both internal and external. Internal factors include one’s personality and temperament. External factors include family environment, cultural background, and so on. The second component is the cognitive functions, which does not only mean one’s knowledge or intelligence, but it also points to one’s cognitive skills, such as selective attention, communication, problem-solving skills, moral reasoning, and so on. The two components of the model mutually affect each other to determine one’s social competence. For example, when a baby is newly