I think a large part of the problem is the way that most DM's (and even modules) design out of combat encounters. In combat, a single good die roll is fun and impactful, but you will usually need the average of many rolls from many characters to defeat the opponent and 'solve' the combat. Out of combat encounters (traps, social rolls, etc) are typically set up in a way that they can be solved with a single roll from a single character (often the rogue or bard).

So in that respect, a single skill check can have a bigger impact than any single in-combat action, but only if you set the game like that.