Poster #80 - Your move: Social problem-solving strategies in children with epilepsy

• In Event: Poster Session 02

Abstract

Social problem-solving involves differentiation of the self and other perspective during different aspects of the conflict (e.g., strategy evaluation; Schultz et al., 1989). Although this ability improves with development (Im-Bolter et al., 2013), children with epilepsy have more difficulty with self-other differentiation during social problem-solving compared to their peers (Bailey & Im-Bolter, 2019a). We know that children who are socially competent and accepted by their peers tend to use more prosocial than aggressive strategies compared to their less competent peers (French & Wass, 1987; Mayeux & Cillessen, 2013). During social problem-solving, coming up with strategies to resolve the conflict is the easiest aspect of this process for children (Bailey & Im-Bolter, 2019b) but this is not the case for children with epilepsy (Bailey & Im-Bolter, 2019a). This suggests that children with epilepsy may have difficulty considering prosocial strategies which may impact their ability to resolve social conflict in a manner that is conducive to the future of their relationships.
The current study used the Interpersonal Negotiation Strategies (INS) interview to assess self-other differentiation during social problem-solving in three groups: children with epilepsy (n = 8; Mage = 9.87; SD = 2.35), children with language problems (n = 8, Mage = 9.87, SD = 2.19), and children with neurotypical development (n = 15; Mage = 9.92; SD = 2.29). Groups were equal for age, nonverbal intelligence, and socioeconomic status. As expected, we found that children with epilepsy had deficits in self-other differentiation compared to the other two groups. Moreover, children with epilepsy showed similar performance for all aspects of social problem solving, whereas children with and without language problems showed higher scores for some aspects (e.g., strategy generation) than others (e.g., solution evaluation). A thematic analysis of the best-chosen strategy to resolve a social conflict uncovered three types: prosocial (e.g., negotiation), passive (e.g., conflict avoidance), and controlling (e.g., manipulation). Although analyses showed no significant differences in strategy type between the groups, likely due to the small sample size, children with epilepsy were equally likely to select a controlling strategy as they were a prosocial one. However, their peers were more likely to go with a passive strategy than a controlling or prosocial one. Our findings suggest that not only do children with epilepsy have difficulty considering more than one perspective during social problem solving, but they also select social problem-solving strategies that are qualitatively different from their peers. Our findings suggest that children with epilepsy are equally likely to try to manipulate the outcome of a social conflict as they are to attempt a fair negotiation. This may help to explain the different outcomes seen in social conflict resolution in children with epilepsy compared to their peers. Further investigations are needed to look at how self-other differentiation during social problem solving may contribute to prosocial strategy use.

Authors

• Katharine M Bailey, University of Alberta
  Presenting Author

• Jonathan Whitsitt, Trent University

• Nancie Im-Bolter, Trent University