Social skills: definition, types, exercises, and examples

In this article, we explain what social skills are and their types, and we suggest exercises and activities for working on social skills.

What are social skills?

Social skills are the set of behavioral strategies and the abilities to apply them that help us handle a social situation effectively, that is, in a way that is acceptable both to the person and to the social context they are in.

They allow us to express feelings, attitudes, wishes, opinions, or rights in a way that suits the situation while respecting the behavior of others. For this reason, they help us improve our interpersonal relationships, feel good, get what we want, and keep others from preventing us from reaching our goals. These behaviors are also necessary to interact and relate to others in an effective, mutually satisfying way.

These skills are essential in any setting we may find ourselves in (with family, at work, out in public, etc.). Using these skills well helps us learn to express ourselves and understand others, take everyone’s needs and interests into account, try to find the most satisfying solution for everyone when a problem arises, and show solidarity, all of which are essential if we want to live in society.

Types of social skills:

If we ask what types of social skills there are, we can talk about two types: basic social skills and complex social skills.

Basic social skills:

• Listening
• Starting a conversation
• Asking a question
• Saying thank you
• Introducing yourself
• Introducing other people
• Giving a compliment

Complex social skills:

• Empathy. The ability to put yourself in someone else’s shoes.
• Emotional intelligence.  Emotional intelligence is a person’s social ability to manage feelings and emotions, discriminate between them, and use this knowledge to guide their own thoughts and actions (Salovey and Mayer, 1990).
• Assertiveness. The ability to be clear, frank, and direct, saying what you mean without hurting others’ feelings or belittling their worth, simply standing up for your rights as a person.
• Listening skills. That is, being able to listen with understanding and care, understanding what the other person means and showing that we have received their message.
• Ability to communicate feelings and emotions. Being able to express our feelings to others appropriately, whether positive or negative.
• Ability to define a problem and evaluate solutions. That is, a person’s ability to analyze a situation taking into account the objective elements, as well as everyone’s feelings and needs.
• Negotiation. Communication skills aimed at finding a solution that is satisfactory for all parties.
• Modulating emotional expression. The ability to adjust how we express our emotions to the environment.
• Ability to apologize. Being aware of the mistakes we make and acknowledging them.
• Recognizing and defending our own rights and those of others. The ability to be aware of our rights and those of others and to defend them appropriately.

Examples of activities for working on social skills

If you’re wondering how to develop social skills in children or adolescents, or you’re looking for ways to develop social skills in adults, here are some examples of activities for developing social skills:

1. Emotion recognition

If you’re looking for social skills exercises, Emotion recognition is an ideal activity.

What does it involve?

It involves recognizing the emotions shown and matching them with the terms that describe them. In this case, the user has to decide which emotion the person is showing.

What does this activity work on?

It’s an activity for working on social skills that stimulates social cognition, vocabulary, and reasoning.

2. Inferring Facial Expressions

If you’re looking for activities to develop social skills in children, the activity Inferring Facial Expressions is very useful. In this case, the user has to choose from several options the one that matches the hidden face shown in the photo.

Here’s an example of a very basic level:

What does this activity work on?

It works on social cognition and reasoning.

3. Emotional reaction to situations

What does it involve?

The activity Emotional reaction to situations is the right one for working with children and adults on the situations in which it makes sense to react in the way shown.

Here’s an example of a very basic level. First, look carefully at the face of the person on the left. In which situation does it make sense to show that emotion?

Now here’s a slightly more complex example:

Not so easy anymore, is it? You can change the level of the exercises depending on the user’s needs. 

What does this activity work on?

Emotional reaction to situations works on social cognition and reasoning.

4. Internal states

What does it involve?

The next activity for working on social skills involves explaining the internal states of the characters in the stories shown by creating social scripts.

What does this activity work on?

It works on social cognition, expression, flexibility, and reasoning.

Why is it important to master social skills?

Social skills are essential in our daily lives and a fundamental part of any intervention focused on social cognition. Training, learning, and developing these skills is essential for our users to build healthy, satisfying relationships with others, whether with family, at work, or with friends. Social skills also play a key role in improving self-esteem, improving communication, and achieving life goals.

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Habilidades sociales: definición, tipos, ejercicios y ejemplos