Social Intelligence: Its History and Measurement

Abstract
Social intelligence, the ability to understand others and to act wisely in social situations, is a concept with a long history, sporadic development, but promise as a late bloomer. Although current references to social intelligence per se are limited, the concept appears to be alive and well under various terms, e.g., role-taking, interpersonal competence, egocentrism (or decentering), and empathy. This review was designed, therefore, to: (a) serve an integrative function by tracing the history of social intelligence and its ramifications; (b) provide an overview of the measurement approaches and relevant research; (c) consider substantive issues, such as the relationship of social intelligence to abstract intelligence and the status of measuring the understanding and action aspects of the concept.

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