Social Intelligence

Abstract

In this essay it is argued that social intelligence is a necessary prerequisite for being a successful intercultural communicator. The latest research in the field of social intelligence is based on the social neuroscience which has been developed in recent years. The research findings of this young discipline are central to intercultural communication research. Until now, cognitive goals have typically predominated in intercultural training programmes, followed by behavioural ones. Affective training goals are often cited as a third typical component of intercultural training, but generally, less time and effort are spent on this part than on the other two. This may be because affective goals are considered to be of minor importance, or because the view that affective skills cannot be significantly improved by training still dominates. However, taking into account the latest findings of social neuroscience, it is argued that the affective is in fact the most important component in intercultural negotiations and should therefore be adequately represented in training programmes. An integrative approach to intercultural negotiations and training is proposed, based on the concept of social intelligence.

Keywords:

• intercultural communication
• social intelligence
• social awareness
• social facility
• intercultural training
• emotions

Notes

1 The concept of ‘social intelligence’ that is used here goes beyond the standard psychological definition (see, for example, Kihlstrom and Cantor, 2000: 359–79).

2 The first conference on social cognitive neuroscience was held in 2001 at University College of Los Angeles (UCLA). In 2007, Oxford University Press launched the first journal in the field, called Social Neuroscience (Goleman, 2006: 10, 338).

3 The ‘low road’ runs through the amygdala, which is situated in the middle of the brain below the cortex. The ‘high road’ comes to a crossroad in the prefrontal cortex (Shallice and Burgess, 1996: 1405–12).

4 The five styles of (high-context) ‘Asian Communication’ are described as intuitive, empathizing, silent, restrained and subtle, and they are combined with a special sensitivity towards non-verbal messages (Henze, 2007: 307).

5 Goleman's use of the term ‘social cognition’ is more restricted than it usually is in social psychology (see, for example, Kunda, 1999).