Social intelligence
Social intelligence refers to an individual's ability to understand and navigate social interactions, encompassing both verbal and nonverbal communication. It involves interpreting cues like tone, body language, and emotions to grasp the underlying meaning of interactions. This understanding extends to self-awareness about one’s own thoughts and feelings, as well as comfort levels in various social settings. Historically, the concept gained traction in the early 20th century through the work of psychologists like Edward Lee Thorndike and later Howard Gardner, who integrated social intelligence into his theory of multiple intelligences. Daniel Goleman further distinguished social intelligence as the capacity to manage the emotions of others, highlighting its physiological roots and its impact on overall well-being. Research indicates that strong social intelligence correlates with better mental and physical health, as social connections can enhance recovery from illness and longevity. Additionally, social intelligence can be cultivated, making it vital for personal development, especially in children, as they learn to form relationships and navigate social norms. This topic is particularly relevant for individuals with autism spectrum disorder, who may face challenges in social interactions and benefit from targeted social skills training.
Social intelligence
"Social intelligence" describes the level of ability an individual has in understanding communications, both verbal and nonverbal, among others in society. Because communication goes beyond mere speech to include tone, emotion, body language, and other clues, individuals must be adept at reading nonverbal cues to fully comprehend meaning. The combined awareness helps in the perception and comprehension of how other people think, feel, and behave. Social intelligence also involves understanding one’s own thoughts and feelings as well as one's level of comfort among people in groups of various sizes.
Studies show that humans evolved as social beings, with connections in several parts of the brain that react to and support associations with other people. Other systems in the body are also connected to social bonds. For example, the cardiovascular system and immune response have been found to be stronger among people who have tight social and family bonds. In fact, people with high social intelligence generally live longer than those who are more isolated or lonely.
Social intelligence was a topic of study as early as the 1920s, when Edward Lee Thorndike explored the idea. While touched on by several other theorists over the next sixty years, it was not until Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences became popular in the 1980s that the idea became widely accepted. Gardner considered various skills, including athletic, spatial, musical, emotional, and social abilities, in measuring human intelligence. He maintained that a high intelligence quotient (IQ) was no guarantee of success or happiness. In fact, Gardner observed, the ability to express emotions, empathize with other people, read body language, and function in various social and business settings was vital to making decisions and functioning in society.
Before Gardner's observations, little attention was paid to social interaction as an important aspect of human happiness and success. A later researcher, Daniel Goleman, expanded on the idea, defining social intelligence as the ability to manage the emotions of others, in contrast to the "emotion quotient," which he defined as the ability to manage one's own emotions. Goleman explained that social intelligence is supported by physiological responses in the human body. The hormones that are released in the human body in response to pleasure or stress have helped humans survive. He also observed that neurons in a person's brain fire when others experience positive or negative emotions, showing that humans are born with some ability to respond to the experiences of others.
Importance of Social Intelligence
Social intelligence is important in all stages of life. Positive interaction, especially touching, between parents and their young babies is essential to both emotional and physical growth. Verbal interaction and play stimulate learning as babies grow. Children who are denied such early bonding experiences with caregivers may miss a crucial stage of attachment, which may affect their ability to form emotional relationships later in life. Opportunities for play, especially with other children, promote social interaction, curiosity, and the beginning of understanding social standards and expectations.
Positive social relationships continue to be vital to people's well-being throughout life. Both mental and physical health are affected by the presence or lack of social connections, including family ties. Children who lack social skills have difficulty making strong friendships and may not understand concepts such as sharing, listening, and negotiating. They sometimes lack empathy or are unable to express their emotions verbally, resorting to bullying as a way to gain attention or feel powerful. Some schools now teach emotional awareness, communication of feelings, and social skills to enable children to increase social intelligence.
Goleman points out in his book Social Intelligence: The New Science of Human Relationships that studies have found a connection between strong relationships and better physical health. People who have close family ties and who maintain a wide social network not only recover faster from illnesses but also live longer overall.
Learning Social Intelligence
Gardner’s concepts of interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligence are highly relevant to social intelligence. Without the ability to read the behavior and intentions of others or the ability to reflect on one’s own behavior, it is difficult to interact, form relationships, or understand oneself. While interaction and communication seem to come naturally to many people, the possession of innate social skills varies widely among individuals. However, according to the Social Intelligence Institute, social intelligence can be learned. The institute maintains there are four principles of social intelligence: viewing others as thinking, feeling individuals rather than objects; using the perspective of others to approach them in appropriate ways; recognizing internal and external automatic behavior that lacks forethought; and choosing how to engage or work with others.
Autism and Social Intelligence
The importance of social intelligence is particularly noticeable when it is absent. People who struggle with social interaction, such as those diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), may have no interest in socializing or may want to make friendships but lack the skills to connect with others in socially acceptable ways.
Inadequate social intelligence is a key factor among higher-functioning people on the autism spectrum. Those who are able to communicate vary in their ability to read others' emotions, remain flexible in social situations, succeed in the classroom, and use social skills as part of a learning environment. The more subtle points of interaction are most puzzling to those with ASD, but ordinary hand gestures and body language also may be confusing. Because comfortable interaction with others is critical to attending school and learning, developing friendships, and later succeeding in the workplace, most programs for ASD children include instruction and practice in social skills.
Bibliography
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