Social intelligence

There are 3 approaches to understanding the nature of social intelligence:

1. Social intelligence as a type of intelligence . It is understood that social intelligence is cognitive ability, which is on a par with such types of intellectual knowledge as mathematical, verbal intelligence, etc.
2. Social intelligence as knowledge acquired in the process of socialization . Social intelligence does not appear here as ability, but as acquired achievements ( psychological resources ). This approach is criticized for the fact that the acquisition of any achievement and knowledge in one way or another implies the presence of ability.
3. Social intelligence as a personality trait that conditions success in interpersonal interaction. ^[6]

For the first time, the problem of social intelligence was highlighted at the beginning of the 20th century by Edward Thorndike , who introduced the term “social intelligence” to mean the ability to succeed in interpersonal situations, to behave wisely and in accordance with the current situation. In addition, he also admitted the presence in the structure of social intelligence of the ability to control other people. ^[2]

The British psychologist gave social intelligence the broadest definition, speaking of it as the ability of a person to get along with people in general, as well as the ease of self-presentation in society and the ability to understand the mood in a group and hidden personality traits of people. ^[7]

According to G. Allport , social intelligence is a “social gift” that promotes smooth communication. Allport spoke of social intelligence as the ability to adapt to changing conditions in the human world. In his opinion, this is one of 8 qualities that determine the ability to understand people well ^[8]

O. Comte and G. Eisenck , in turn, emphasized the social nature of intelligence, and Comte also added that social intelligence is the ability to understand other people, as well as the ability to see oneself through their eyes. ^[9]

J. Guildford was the first researcher to approach the problem of social intelligence in terms of measurement. He developed a test of social intelligence and, in addition, suggested that social intelligence is a unit independent of the general intellectual factor, but related to the knowledge of information about behavior. ^[10]

R. Sternberg interpreted social intelligence as the ability to get along with other people, put themselves in their place, understand them, and correctly and critically evaluate their feelings, moods and motivation for their actions. ^[eleven]

In Soviet psychology, the first phenomenon of social intelligence was described by M. I. Bobneva. In her opinion, social intelligence is formed in the process of socialization : during life and in the process of communication with other people. In addition, in the context of social intelligence, Bobneva described trends in typification and individualization. The trend of typification is manifested in the development of properties that are common to all people, while the tendency toward individualization on the contrary is a process of accumulation of personal, individual experience. ^[four]

Yu. N. Emelyanov linked the concept of social intelligence with social sensitivity : in his opinion, an individual intuitively forms individual abilities in one way or another, on the basis of which he makes decisions and makes conclusions in social interaction. Thus, it has been argued that the development of social intelligence is facilitated by the presence of sensitivity. ^[12]

From the point of view of V. N. Kunitsyna, social intelligence is a global ability that develops on the basis of intellectual, personal, communicative, and behavioral traits. ^[5]

A. L. Yuzhaninova also calls social intelligence a certain ability, saying that this ability is expressed in 3 components: socio-perceptual abilities, social imagination, as well as social communication technology. ^[13]

G. Aizenk proposed a scheme (Fig. 1), combining 3 types of intelligence: biological, psychometric and social.

Consistent with this pattern, biological intelligence is an indicator associated with the structures and functions of the cerebral cortex (i.e., with the physiological, neurological, biochemical and hormonal basis of behavior). Psychometric intelligence, according to Eisenck, is reflected in that very indicator of intelligence (IQ), which is measured through tests. And finally, he describes social intelligence as a manifestation of socially useful adaptation, which includes such abilities as reasoning, problem solving, memory, learning ability, development of strategies, and adaptation to the environment.

Thus, in the scheme presented by Eisenck, the concept of social intelligence is the broadest, including narrower concepts of biological and psychometric intelligences. ^[9]

J. Guilford developed a cubic model of the structure of intelligence (Fig. 2), in which social intelligence also found a place.

In this structure, intelligence is described in the space of three variables: the content of the presented information, information processing operations, information processing results.

It is the axes of these three coordinates that describe the intellectual abilities reflected in the form of small cubes in this scheme. Similarly, social intelligence can be described in the space of these three variables.

This model is of particular interest to social intelligence because Guilford's attention was focused on one of the operations, cognition.

His research in this area has been devoted to cognition of behavior. This ability includes 6 factors:

1. Cognition of behavioral elements - the ability to isolate verbal and non-verbal expression of behavior from the context
2. Knowledge of behavior classes - the ability to perceive common properties in the flow of information
3. Cognition of relationships of behavior - the ability to understand the relationships arising between units of information about behavior
4. Cognition of systems of behavior - the ability to understand the logic of development of situations of interaction between people and the meaning of their behavior in specific situations
5. Cognition of transformations of behavior - ability to understand the change in the meaning of similar behavior
6. Cognition of the results of behavior - the ability to predict the consequences of behavior based on the source information. ^[fourteen]

In the structure of multiple intelligences proposed by Gardner , the following types of intellects that are directly related to social intellect are distinguished:

1. Intrapersonal intelligence is the ability to access one’s own internal mental processes, to understand oneself, one’s own abilities, motives, emotions.
2. Interpersonal intelligence is the ability to understand the feelings, intentions of other people. ^[fifteen]

Machiavellian intelligence - specific intellectual abilities that ensure the effective functioning of an individual in a team (the ability to form coalitions, organize joint resistance to “violators of the established order”, invent various tricks to increase one’s reputation and social status, and anticipate reactions and actions of “tribesmen” to basis of "modeling" of their intentions, knowledge and way of thinking, etc.). ^{[16] [17]}

In the structure of social intelligence, various authors distinguish various components.

Yuzhaninova, for example, distinguishes the following:

1. Socially perceptual abilities - the ability to adequate self-knowledge, understanding one’s own position in the world of people and functioning in it. It includes the correct perception of their own individual characteristics, the course of mental processes, as well as emotional traits and qualities.
2. Social imagination is the ability to synthesize the external signs of other people and to model their personal qualities on their basis, as well as to predict their future behavior in certain situations.
3. Social communication technique - the flexibility of behavior in any situation, the ability to change it, as well as to see and imagine the situation from the point of view of another person. ^[13]

According to O. John and K. Cosmetsky, social intelligence includes the following components:

1. Good understanding of other people's feelings, thoughts, and intentions
2. The ability to find a common language and get along well with people
3. Good knowledge of the rules and regulations of human relationships
4. The ability to understand the point of view of other people
5. The ability to adapt well in social situations
6. Warmth and attention
7. Susceptibility to new experience ^[15]

V.N. Kunitsyna represented the structure of social intelligence as follows:

1. Communicative-personal potential is the totality of a person’s properties that help him communicate and interact with other people (or, on the contrary, impede this interaction)
2. Characteristic of self-awareness - self-esteem, freedom from complexes, openness to new ideas
3. Social perception, social thinking and imagination, the ability to understand social phenomena, as well as the motives that drive people
4. Energy characteristics of the individual - endurance, activity, exhaustion ^[15]

In this matter, different authors likewise hold different points of view.

For example, according to D. Wexler , social intelligence is applicable to the general and is a part of it manifested in the social sphere.

According to E. Thorndike , J. Guildford and M.I. Bobneva, on the contrary, social intelligence is not a part of the general intellect and is not connected with it.

R. Sternberg attributed social intelligence to varieties of practical intelligence.

In preschool and primary school age, social intelligence is actively developing in the process of role-playing games, as well as in communication with peers. ^[eighteen]

In adolescence, the most actively formed communicative and personal potential (as a general tendency to communicate and communicate), self-awareness and the ability to understand other people (including the ability to predict their behavior). ^[5]

In adolescence, first of all, the formation of the ability to anticipate the consequences of their own actions and forecasting others. ^[19]

In adulthood, social intelligence takes the form of social wisdom. At this age, the ability to recognize one’s own mistakes is also primarily formed. ^[twenty]

The test for measuring social intelligence was first proposed by T. Khan in 1928: it was multifactorial, and the assessment of the totality of subtests gave a final score. The following components were measured: judgment in social situations; memory for names and faces; behavior monitoring; recognition of internal states hidden behind words, or by facial expression; sense of humor; social information.

Guilford's multi-factor model also formed the basis for measuring social intelligence, and subsequently Guilford 's social intelligence test became one of the most popular. A common technique in Russian psychology is the adaptation of the Guildford test , produced by E. S. Mikhailova. ^[6]

• Emotional intellect
• Assertiveness
• Intelligence

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