The position and role of social intelligence in the structure of interpersonal attraction

Abstract

In recent times the concepts of “social intelligence”, “emotional intelligence”, “interpersonal intelligence” and their evaluation as a symbol of success in various fields have caused quite a stir. A number of authors emphasize the role of different forms of intelligence in the formation and continuation of interpersonal relations. In the article we have attempted to clarify the essence, content and character of the relationship between social intelligence and attraction, as well as the position and role of social intelligence in the structure of attraction. Some researchers who study the concepts of “social intelligence”, “emotional intelligence”, “interpersonal intelligence” and their influence on success in various fields put forward the idea that the reason for the success of the heads of large transnational corporations is 85% related to emotional intelligence. Since we are interested in the position and role of social intelligence in the structure of interpersonal relations, we will try to clarify the issue from this perspective. More precisely, here we will attempt to clarify the essence, content and character of the relationship between social intelligence and attraction, as well as the position and role of social intelligence in the structure of attraction. However, clarifying the mentioned issue requires overcoming certain difficulties. That is, on the one hand, the complex nature of interpersonal attraction itself and on the other hand, the controversial aspects regarding the essence of the concepts of intelligence, social intelligence and emotional intelligence and in most cases the existence of opinions and views that contradict each other, create difficulties in carrying out research in the specified direction. This is not accidental. Because both attraction and social intelligence, as well as emotional intelligence are partly based on hypothetical ideas and with some exceptions are not grounded in serious research or in statistically processed results of obtained research materials. As becomes clear, even among the researchers studying social intelligence, there is no unanimous opinion about its content and essence. This is not accidental either, since on the one hand the concept of intelligence itself is multidimensional, and on the other hand, when defining social intelligence, some authors refer to its functions, others to its forms of manifestation, while some point to the role it plays in solving one or another issue. Another interesting point here is related to clarifying what similar and different features social intelligence and emotional intelligence, which is close to it and sometimes used as a synonym, possess.