Role of social performance in predicting learning problems: Prediction of risk using logistic regression analysis

Social skills are specific behaviors that individuals exhibit in order to successfully complete social tasks whereas social competence represents judgments by significant others that these social tasks have been successfully accomplished. The present investigation identified the best sociobehavioral predictors obtained from different raters (judges) in order to classify children into Learning Problem (LP) and No Learning Problem (NLP) groups. A sample of 119 elementary school students from six Brazilian public state schools participated in this study. The sample consisted of 59 NLP and 60 LP students. A forward stepwise logistic regression analysis showed the peer ratings of collaborativeness was the best predictor of LP and NLP group membership and correctly classified 94% of the LP group and 90% of the NLP group. Self-ratings of compliance and self-ratings of ease of joining a peer group as well as teacher ratings of collaborativeness were added to the model which correctly classified 98% and 98.1% of the LP and NLP groups respectively. These results are discussed in terms of social skills as academic enablers for academic success in the classroom.