THE IMPLICIT USE OF EXPLICIT CONCEPTIONS OF SOCIAL INTELLIGENCE

The psychometric literature on individual differences in social intell igence shows little agreement about the definition and the content of this construct. To examine its conceptual origin. subjects' implicit c onceptions were studied. In Study 1, subjects judged 18 putative compo nents of social intelligence in terms of their centrality, with consid erable interjudge agreement. In Study 2. subjects described a peer who m they liked or disliked. The two studies suggest that the most centra l components of social intelligence: (1) include cognitive aspects (e. g. understanding others, knowing social rules) as well as behavioral a spects (dealing with people, social adaptability), (2) load together o n a distinct factor in peer ratings, and (3) are independent of two ot her peer rating factors, Social Influence and Social Memory The relati ons between subjects' implicit conception of social intelligence and s everal explicit models are discus