Social Intelligence | eBook | AudioBook

The Following is an Excerpt from this Book

The ability to know oneself and others is attributed to social intelligence. Social Intelligence evolves from people’s learning and experience in the ambit of the social environment’s progress and frustrations. It is more commonly referred to as tact, common sense, or astuteness. Social scientist Ross Honeywill claims that social intelligence is a systematic assessment of self-awareness and social consciousness, established social conventions and attitudes, and a capacity and willingness to navigate complex social transformation. Psychologist, Nicholas Humphrey suggests that the essence of what people are as human beings is social intelligence in place of quantitative intelligence.

Edward Thorndike’s original 1920 concept is the strength to understand and control men and women, boys and girls, to behave wisely in complicated human relationships. It is similar to relational intelligence, one of the intelligence forms described in the theory of generative grammar by Howard Gardner, and closely linked to the theory of mind. Several scholars have narrowed the term to only dealing with the knowledge in social contexts, perhaps even more aptly referred to as social cognition or social marketing intelligence, as it relates to socio-psychological advertising and marketing techniques. Based on some evaluations made by Sean Foleno, social intelligence is the ability of a person to assume the environment optimally and respond competently to socially successful behavior. It is worth noting the added definitions charted out, as there is still a universal agreement on the logistical definition of social intelligence.

Hypothetical impact

The theory of social intelligence suggests that social intelligence, i.e. intricate socialization such as diplomacy, friendship, family bonding, disagreements, cooperation, mutuality, and altruism is the catalyst in the development of the human brain, so to say and today it offers the moment in complicated social situations to use these large brain elements. This hypothesis asserts that the pressures of living together are what drives human needs for intelligence and that social intelligence is an evolutionary response to cope with extremely complex social settings and to acquire and retain power in communities.

Archaeologist Steve Mithen considers that the hypothesis of social intelligence is easily understood by two core evolutionary phases of the progress of the human brain. The first happened to rise when the brain expanded in size around two million years earlier. Mithen assumes this growth was due to people living in larger and more dynamic communities and having to keep trail of more individuals and connections. Such changes required greater mental ability and higher brain size in effect. Around multi-million years ago, the second major growth period in human brain size transpired when the brain reached its present size. Although this development is not yet fully explained, Mithen assumes it is directly connected with the language evolution.

Language can be attributed to the most complex cognitive function human beings are undertaking. Language is directly associated with social intelligence, as it is mainly used to mediate social relations. Social intelligence was a principal determinant in the development of the brain. The nature of human and cognitive development co-exists emphatically.

Measurement techniques

The social intelligence quotient (SQ) is a statistical construct with an average of 100, similar to the regular ranking method used in IQ tests. Scores of 140 or higher are considered very strong. It’s not a set pattern, unlike the standard IQ tests. It tends to incline more towards the concept of Jean Piaget that intelligence is not a static quality, but a dynamic pyramid of information-processing skills that underpin an integrated balance between the person and the environment. An individual can, therefore, adjust his or her SQ by changing THE attitudes and behavior in reciprocation to the social environment.

SQ was calculated using methods such as question and answer sessions until lately. Such sessions evaluate the analytical ability of the individual in certain special education classes to determine eligibility; however, other assessments have also been created to measure social intelligence. The method can be applied to identify symptoms of the autism spectrum. This examination may be used to identify the conditions of the autism spectrum. This test may also be used to evaluate certain non-autistic or semi-autistic disorders such as Semantic Pragmatic Syndrome (SPD), Dyssemia, Schizophrenia, and ADHD. There are some self-reporting social intelligence measures. While convenient to implement, there is some doubt as to whether social intelligence linked self-reporting measures would be best understood in terms of social self-efficacy, i.e., one’s trust in one’s potential to deal with social information.

Characters with low SQ are better suited to working with limited customer contact, as well as in smaller assembly or segments, or individually, because they may not have the interpersonal contact and social skills needed to succeed with customers and other stakeholders. Individuals with SQs above 120 are viewed as socially competent and can work exceptionally well with tasks involving direct contact and coordination with their companions.

Intelligence distinction

Nicholas Humphrey directs to a disparity between IQ and social intelligence assessment. Many autistic kids are extremely clever because they have excellently-developed knowledge processing and memorization ability, but they have low social intelligence. For a long time, behaviorism dominated the field, i.e., the belief that humans and animals could be understood simply by studying their conduct and drawing similarities. Recent findings, however, imply that one has to consider the behavior of the inner edifice. Both Nicholas Humphrey and Ross Honeywill conclude that what makes people what they are leads to social intelligence, or the resources of individual qualitative existence, rather than quantitative intelligence makes the same impression.

Some more views

Social intelligence is closely tied with intellect and emotional intelligence. Experimental psychologists studying social cognition and social psychology have identified several ways wherein human social intelligence functions with ease. Recently, acclaimed science author Daniel Goleman has maintained social neuroscience research to suggest that social intelligence consists of social awareness including empathy, harmony, empathic precision, social cognition and social facilities that manifest self-presentation, synchrony, concern, and influence. The outcome of research conducted by Goleman shows that social relationships have a direct bearing on our general health, and the closer the relationship, the more significant the effects. Results include breathing intensity, blood flow, attitudes like fatigue and depression, and anti-immune system.