Abstract

The present study investigated the social skills of schizophrenics through the use of three groups: schozophrenics, nonschizophrenic patients(alchol-dependant, mood disorder individuals) and a normals group, and their social skills results as measured on the social skills scales and semantic differential scales based upon role-enactments in mock social situations. It also analyzed the relationship between the social skills scales and semantic differential scales, and perspective of self's social behavior and perspective of socially inappropriate behavior of others. The results of the study indicated that schizophrenics rated significantly lower on the social skills measures of the social skills scales and semantic differential scales. Nonschizophrenic patients rated at an intermediate level between the normals group and the schizophrenic group. They also exhibited lowered social skills. This study found a significant correlation between social skills and cognitive ability with respect to perspective of self's social behavior and perspective of socially inappropriate behavior of others. The results of the present study suggest that an improved cognitive ability as to the perspective of self's social behavior and perspective of inappropriate social behavior of others may help toward an improvement in social skills.