The Imperative for Social Competency Prediction

Some military personnel returning from deployment show social competency deficits: They act impulsively and make risky decisions, misinterpret interaction cues, experience difficulties with personal relationships, and adopt high-risk behaviors. These adverse social skills directly influence, among other important variables, psychological health and quality of life. Social skills deficits are not just a military concern; for instance, at-risk adolescents and reintegrating prisoners must also learn to demonstrate social competence. Meanwhile, today’s screening is limited in its ability to assess current—and predict future—social competency; typical neurocognitive assessment is not designed to assess social competence in realistic situations. The author proposes a tool to improve screening by identifying social competency deficits through assessment of behavior in simulated social situations. This is important not only to more accurately assess adverse behaviors, but also to predict future behaviors and their causes, to focus intervention to address social competency deficits before adverse behaviors are ever exhibited.