The Tromsø Social Intelligence Scale, a self‐report measure of social intelligence

Abstract

Social intelligence is a construct that not only appeals to laymen as a relevant individual difference but also has shown promising practical applications. Nevertheless, the use of social intelligence in research and applied settings has been limited by definitional problems, difficulties in empirically differentiating social intelligence from related constructs, and the complexity of most existing measures of social intelligence. The goal of the present research was to address some of these obstacles by designing a multi-faceted social intelligence measure that is short and easy to administer. Three studies were conducted to develop and validate the Tromsø Social Intelligence Scale (TSIS). Study 1 examined professional psychologists' interpretations of social intelligence to derive a consensually agreed-upon definition of the construct. In Study 2, a large pool of social intelligence items were tested, and a 3-factor, 21-item scale was identified. In Study 3, the stability of this measure was confirmed.

Changes of indicators of social intelligence for substance use disorders patients: Before Minnesota program, after program treatment and six months later

“…Norwegian researchers D.H. Silvera, M. Martinussen and T. Dahl (Silvera et al, 2001) developed a test for measuring social intelligence -the Tromsø Social Intelligence Scale which was also used in the present study. The authors identified three SI components: (a) social information processing, (b) social skills and (c) social awareness.…”

“…Social information processing describes cognitive processes involved in social interaction: the awareness and acceptance of social situations; the ability to listen to others and fully understand implied SHS Web of Conferences or partially expressed thoughts and feelings; the defining and setting of targets, the search for feedback or social solutions (Silvera et al, 2001;Lopes et al, 2004;Meijs et al, 2010).…”

“…A high social intelligence is associated with the ability to find appropriate means of communication with various people from all walks of life in various situations; these individuals are characterized by wide repertoire of social roles and neuroplasticity in role playing (Silvera et al, 2001;Meijs et al, 2010).…”

“…Social awareness describes the ability to recognize culture and values related aspects of different social groups and how these aspects influence individual's actions and behaviour (Silvera et al, 2001;Meijs et al, 2010). Social awareness includes the ability to empathy.…”

“…Selection of research was composed by 204 respondents with diagnosis of SUD (F10.2 -F19.2, ICD-10), average age 36,9 (SD = 11, 1); 61.3% − male; 79.4% − alcoholics. Instruments: Trømso Social Intelligence Scale, TSIS (Silvera, Martinussen, Dahl, 2001). Scale of SI consists of 21 items, building 3 factors: Social information processing (SP), social skills (SS), social awareness (SA).…”