Pima Medical Institute OTA 130: Occupational Analysis - Social Interaction Skills

Chapter 8: Determining Required Performance Skills - Social Interaction Skills

Overview of Social Interaction Skills

• Definition: Interacting with others can occur in two primary modes:

  • Direct Interaction: Includes face-to-face conversations or phone calls.

  • Indirect Interaction: Utilizes written forms of communication, such as emails and text messages.

Behaviors in Social Interaction

• Comfort in Interaction: Key behaviors that facilitate comfortable conversations include:

  • Open body language

  • Eye contact

  • Active listening

• Discomfort in Interaction: Behaviors that create discomfort may involve:

  • Lack of eye contact

  • Closed body posture

  • Interruptions

Importance of Context

• Understanding context is critical in shaping social interaction skills. Examples include:

  • Playing Tennis:

  • Social skills required for friendly games differ from competitive match contexts.

  • Studying:

  • Social skills for studying in outdoor settings differ from those in libraries, especially upon encountering acquaintances.

Components of Social Interaction Skills

1. Initiating and Terminating Social Interactions

   • Approaches: Ways to start a conversation.

   • Concludes/Disengages: How to end or exit an interaction smoothly.

2. Producing Social Interaction

   • Producing Speech: The ability to articulate thoughts verbally.

   • Gesticulates: Using gestures to enhance communication.

   • Speaks Fluently: The flow of speech without unnecessary pauses.

3. Physically Supporting Social Interaction

   • Turns Toward: Body orientation towards the speaker.

   • Looks: Maintaining eye contact.

   • Places Self: Positioning oneself appropriately in space.

   • Touches: Appropriate touch cues in communication.

   • Regulates: Adjusting physical presence and body language appropriately.

4. Shaping Content for Social Interaction

   • Questions: Inquiring to foster engagement.

   • Replies: Responding to questions or comments.

   • Discloses: Sharing personal information.

   • Expresses Emotions: Conveying feelings during interactions.

   • Disagrees: Politely contesting ideas or statements.

   • Thanks: Expressing gratitude as part of social etiquette.

5. Maintaining Flow of Social Interactions

   • Transitions: Smoothly moving between topics.

   • Times Responses: Timing when to respond or speak.

   • Times Duration: Managing the length of interactions.

   • Takes Turns: Engaging in turn-taking in conversations.

Modifying Demands in Social Interactions

Increasing Demands or Challenges:

• Use open-ended questions to promote deeper engagement.

• Utilize silence therapeutically to encourage thought and reflection.

• Instruct individuals to increase their use of inflection, content, and gestures for more expressive interaction.

Decreasing Demands or Challenges:

• Use close-ended questions for simpler responses.

• Minimize the use of silence to reduce anxiety during communication.

• Allow limited use of inflection, content, and gestures to maintain comfort.

• Keep individuals in their comfort zones regarding their preferred communication styles.

Examples of Grading Social Interaction Skills

Increasing Approach Demands vs. Decreasing Approach Demands:

• Initiating a Conversation:

  • Increase: Improve approachability by encouraging small talk.

  • Decrease: Simplify the interaction, possibly through scripted conversation starters.

Increasing Expression Demands vs. Decreasing Expression Demands:

• Expressing Thoughts:

  • Increase: Encourage sharing deeper thoughts and opinions.

  • Decrease: Allow for basic responses to minimize pressure.

Increasing Disclosure Demands vs. Decreasing Disclosure Demands:

• Responding to Interview Questions:

  • Increase: Require detailed responses.

  • Decrease: Permit yes/no answers to reduce stress.

Increasing Turn-Taking Demands vs. Decreasing Turn-Taking Demands:

• Have a Conversation:

  • Increase: Promote active participation from both parties.

  • Decrease: Allow longer pauses between turns to boost comfort.

Increasing Emotion Expression Demands vs. Decreasing Emotion Expression Demands:

• Communicating Discomfort:

  • Increase: Encourage articulation of feelings during difficult times.

  • Decrease: Suggest minimal expression when discomfort is felt.

Important Note for Students

• Students are required to spell commonly used therapeutic terms accurately to receive credit in assessments. This includes terms relevant to the field of Occupational Therapy.