Social competence
encompass the range of knowledge, skills and understandings that individuals develop to successfully navigate social situations that often present choices, challenges and opportunities. A key component of social competence is the acquisition of knowledge and understanding of social norms and dynamics; social awareness and social cognition involving the interpretation and understanding of social signals, intentions and emotions; behavioural skills including group cooperation, conflict resolution and leadership; and a pro-social attitude meaning the pursuit of a situation that is beneficial to others without expectation of self-benefit.
Compendium of social competence concepts
One principle to help develop social competence. Social competence programmes should include culturally relevant scenarios and practices
Include activities that engage not only in performing tasks but also in thinking critically about them. Any form of interaction provides an opportunity to recognise, analyse or practice social skills.
One of the key higher order skills that involves expressing one's thoughts, feelings and needs confidently and respectfully. Assertive people are able to stand up for themselves while taking into account the perspectives and feelings of others.
Promoting one's own needs and interests in a respectful manner, seeking mutually beneficial outcomes in social interactions.
Subject is not disruptive, does not display aggression, does not drop out of studies. Demonstrates respect for rules and norms, engages in constructive interactions and makes a positive contribution to the social environm.
Individuals with strong social skills excel at making friends and nurturing close relationships over time. They understand the importance of empathy, active listening and support in building meaningful relationships with others.
Knowledge of self and socio-cultural context (norms, expected behaviour, etc.) and relevant skills.
A set of principles and values that define standards of behaviour in an organisation, institution or community.
Information about conduct or behaviour that leads to action to confirm or develop that conduct or behaviour.
Concepts characterise pro-social people. Take social initiative and demonstrate a sense of responsibility towards others and their community. Proactively identify opportunities to make a positive impact, take responsibility for their actions and contribute to collective wellbeing.
Higher order skill. It involves approaching others, starting conversations and engaging in dialogue in a way that promotes connection and understanding.
The ability to recognise, understand and manage one's own emotions and the emotions of others. Includes skills such as empathy, assertiveness, relationship skills and stress management. People with high emotional intelligence are better able to communicate, collaborate and make decisions based on emotions, which promotes effective social interactions.
The ability to takes social initiative and demonstrates a sense of responsibility towards others and their community. Proactively identifies opportunities to make a positive impact, takes responsibility for their actions and contributes to collective well-being.
The ablility to be comfortable with uncertainty and ambiguity in social interactions, remaining composed and adaptable even in unfamiliar or difficult situations. The person sees social encounters as an opportunity for growth and learning, taking advantage of opportunities to expand his interpersonal skills.
The general ability to perform well in a specific task domain, which requires not only the possession of a range of specific skills, but also a general understanding of the domain (knowledge), as well as certain attitudes that help one to perform well in that domain.
Behaviour that fosters or maintains positive interactions with others, is socially congruent, does not incur excessive psychophysiological costs and is adaptive both immediately and in the long term under the given conditions.
Performed in social situations, a well-learned behaviour or an automatic sequence of behaviours that is relatively situation-specific and over time has become motor reflexive and independent of motivational or cognitive influences - that is, it is performed with little or no conscious intention.
Achieve mutually satisfactory agreements through communication and compromise and motivate others by inspiring and encouraging individuals to achieve their goals.
Informal, mostly unwritten rules that define acceptable and appropriate actions within a group or community.
The ablilty to learns from their experiences and maintains a positive attitude towards future interactions.
The belief that one can meet the demands of social situations; belief in one's skills, abilities, and judgment in social interactions.
Intrapersonal skills include planning and decision-making abilities. People with strong intrapersonal skills can set goals, develop strategies and make informed decisions to achieve desired outcomes.
A desire to help others and share resources, knowledge and support, and lends a helping hand to those in need and contributes to the well-being of his community through acts of kindness and generosity.
Trying to make the situation favorable to yourself and others, and focusing strongly on what you can offer others, not just receive.
The ability to recognize own value and contribution in the social environment, which leads to a sense of empowerment and confidence in interactions with others.
Willingness to act according to norms and expectations and with respect for other people; at a higher level, it means having the disposition and motivation to act for the good of others.
Putting honesty, justice and moral principles first, helping to build trust and respect in your social circles.
The ability to inspire, motivate and guide others towards common goals and understand group dynamics, delegate effectively and foster collaboration between team members.
Managing situations effectively by coping with social anxiety, navigating unfamiliar environments and adapting to unexpected social challenges.
Intrapersonal skills include coping mechanisms for dealing with stress and frustration. People with strong intrapersonal skills can effectively regulate their emotions or affect maintain self-control and remain calm in difficult situations.
The ablility to recognises and acknowledges the common interests of self and others and seeks to find common ground and work together towards common goals, promoting cooperation and harmony in the social environment.
Dealing constructively with disagreements, finding mutually beneficial solutions and maintaining positive relationships.
Intrapersonal skills include problem-solving skills, enabling individuals to identify challenges, analyse situations and generate effective solutions. Effective problem-solving skills enable individuals to overcome obstacles and achieve goals.
It involves recognising and understanding one's own emotions, thoughts and behaviour. Self-aware people can accurately recognise their own values, needs, strengths and limitations.
Behaviour that leads to the subject's well-being or enables the subject to achieve his or her own goals.
Situations in which other people (individually or collectively) are involved - as action partners, observers, sources of influence exerted on the individual or objects of influence exerted by him/her.
The ability to demonstrates sensitivity to differences in background, culture and embraces diversity as enriching and valuable, showing tolerance and acceptance towards others who may have different beliefs or identities.
Awareness of the interrelationship between one's own behaviour or feelings and the functioning of others in a given situation. This includes processing social information, i.e. interpreting and understanding social signals, intentions and emotions.
The ability to perform a task well. A skill is something that is acquired and that can be improved by various means, mainly through learning and practice.
Knowledge of the possible and best ways to behave in a given situation and an understanding of the potential consequences of different actions, and competence in group processes such as cooperation, conflict resolution and leadership.
The ability to perceive and process information provided by other people. They include the ability to accurately interpret verbal and non-verbal cues, such as facial expressions, body language and tone of voice, in order to understand the thoughts, feelings and desires of others. Furthermore, interpersonal skills include empathy, which involves identifying with another person by taking their perspective (cognitive empathy) and sharing their emotions (affective empathy). Active listening, a key element of interpersonal skills, involves full concentration on what is being said, understanding the message and responding thoughtfully.
The ability to do something that is necessary or helpful to the subject but does not relate directly to other people some intrapersonal skills, for example stress management, are strongly linked to social competence, while others do not have such an obvious link, for example the ability to organise learning.
Include the expression and management of emotions, beliefs, needs, and expectations in interpersonal relationships; the ability to express liking, attachment, and positive or negative affective experiences; and the ability to describe and evaluate behavior or personal characteristics, and to engage in cooperative, dependent behavior and self-presentation.
The ability to do something that is necessary or helpful to interact with others, acquired through training and practice.
Confidence in social situations is often linked to effective communication skills, including assertiveness, active listening and clear expression. Confident people can communicate their thoughts, feelings and needs assertively and respectfully, promoting positive and constructive interactions with others.
The ability to interact effectively and face social challenges. The person trusts his or her social skills, communication skills, and ability to make meaningful connections with others.
The cognitive result of the assimilation of facts and figures, concepts, ideas and theories that are already established in a given field. Knowledge can be acquired and developed in the context of the formal education system, in the non-formal system of structured learning outside the education system and in informal settings through life experience.
Knowledge of principles, rules and regularities related to interpersonal relationships and social situations.
The entity works effectively with others, communicates openly and transparently, and adheres to the principles of honesty and trustworthiness.
The ability to be able to adapt actions and attitudes to the demands of different social situations, effectively navigating different environments and interactions.
The skills required to communicate effectively with others. This includes verbal, non-verbal and para-linguistic communication channels Verbal communication involves the use of language to convey thoughts, feelings and information, while non-verbal communication includes gestures, facial expressions and body language. Para-linguistic communication refers to elements such as tone of voice, pitch and rhythm that complement verbal communication and convey additional meaning.
Understanding and considering what is expected or required of oneself in a given situation and adapting behaviour to social norms, cultural expectations and situational cues.