Social intelligence as a resource for individual readiness for social interactions: the case of team sports

Abstract

This article highlights the relevance of studying social intelligence as a phenomenon that ensures an individual’s successful integration into the modern world. Potential psychological resources for the development of social intelligence are typically considered in isolation, whereas in real life, social interaction is regulated by a set of psychological and environmental factors. Rationale: Scientific literature contains analyses of the significance of social intelligence in various spheres of life. Despite the high relevance of this subject, insufficient attention is given to researching types of activity that require constant interaction, such as team sports. Socio-psychological adaptation and constructive conflict resolution strategies are considered criteria for readiness for social interaction, while emotional intelligence, maturity, and coping mechanisms are viewed as factors that can either serve as resources or become barriers. Aims: This paper aims to identify the features of the relationship between the social intelligence of team sport athletes and their psychological resources and readiness for interaction criteria. Materials and Methods. Four-Factor Test of Social Intelligence (J. Guilford, M. Sullivan); Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (D.V. Lyusin); Psychosocial Maturity Questionnaire; Social and Psychological Adaptation Scale (K. Rogers, R. Dymond); Coping Strategies Test (N. Aghadze); Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument (K. Thomas, R. Kilmann); Test of Communicative and Organizational Propensities. Methods of mathematical statistics: correlation analysis (using Spearman's rho and Pearson's correlation coefficients), the calculation of medians. Results. The number of correlations between the studied indicators differed among groups with varying levels of the composite score. As the level of social intelligence increases, the number of negative correlations with emotional intelligence decreases; the connection with adaptation loses its relevance; and coping strategies shift from individual to team-based. In the subgroup with low composite scores, communicative skills act as barriers, whereas in the subgroup with high scores, organizational skills serve this function. Conclusion. Across groups with varying levels of the composite score, distinct patterns emerge in the relationships between social intelligence and psychological resources, marked by changes in both their quantity and nature. As social intelligence increases, the number of negative correlations with indicators of emotional intelligence decreases, while positive correlations with parameters of adaptation and maturity increase.