There is perhaps no universally accepted definition of social intelligence. More precisely, there are a great many interpretations used by psychologists from different schools. This concept itself appeared relatively recently, the term was first introduced into psychological use in 1920 by an American psychologist named Thorndike, who by social intelligence understood the person’s ability to understand and foresight in relationships.
In 1994, a group of leading American psychologists made an attempt to formulate the main criteria for such a large-scale concept as intelligence. The main postulates of this definition are as follows:
- Under the intelligence is understood the general mental ability of a person, expressed in the ability to solve tasks, adapt to the environment, think logically and quickly learn from experience.
- On the formation of his heredity has a more significant role than the environment.
- Intelligence is not constant throughout life. It can develop, partially stabilizes in adolescence and youth. In an adult, intellectual development, as a rule, reaches a certain level and then undergoes little change.
- Intelligence is measured by tests. IQ tests are designed taking into account the influence of age, educational, language factors and serve as a fairly accurate scale for assessing intellectual development. Moreover, they are not culturally conditioned, that is, they are able to give an objective assessment of the mental abilities of people tested from various social groups and sectors of society.
Types of intelligence, according to the concept of "multilateral intelligence" by G. Gardner, can be different (there are seven in total). This is an intelligence of a logical-mathematical type, verbal-linguistic, visual-spatial. As well as musical rhythmic, physical and motor, intrapersonal and interpersonal.
Social intelligence as a concept is based on intra- and interpersonal varieties and implies developed communication skills, the ability to establish contacts and establish relationships, i.e., it characterizes the social sphere of personality development. The third basic concept is emotional intelligence, that is, the ability to perceive and correctly interpret our and others' feelings and predict the development of relationships and actions of others.
According to another theory (according to the concept of the English psychologist G. Yu. Eysenck), intelligence can be classified as biological, social and psychometric. Moreover, in contrast to biological (genetically determined), social intelligence, according to the scientist, is the result of the interaction of man and the environment and is formed in the process of acquiring life experience.
Currently, the most complete classification is recognized by J. Guildford, distinguishing six components. This is the ability to distinguish and correctly interpret verbal and non-verbal messages, establish general patterns for different types of behavior, the relationship between the individual aspects of information, capture the logic of the development of the situation as a whole and correctly interpret the behavior of people in different contexts, as well as anticipate the consequences of others and their own actions.
According to R. Selman, social intelligence in its development goes through five stages, each of which is characterized by a new level of knowledge of themselves, their environment, friends and parents.
At the zero (pre-social) stage, egocentrism dominates in the behavior of the child. The child is not yet able to distinguish himself from the world around him, to separate his feelings and thoughts from himself and others.
At the first stage (social) comes awareness of oneself as a separate person and separation from others. In the second stage, the ability to reflect appears. The child is already able to understand the other person and his point of view. The third stage (usually 10-12 years old) is characterized by the formation of self-identity, the establishment of its place in the structure of relations.
At the fourth stage, an understanding of the depth and ambiguity of human relations, an awareness of the multifaceted nature of the individual and the existence of several levels of interaction comes, thus forming the skills of mature behavior.