Social intelligence and national identity of higher education applicants- bilinguals: features of interconnections

Abstract

The article reveals the results of an empirical research of social intelligence and national identity of higher education applicants-bilinguals and the relationships between them are determined. The research uses: theoretical analysis, social intelligence test (J. Guilford, M. O’Sullivan), a method of assessing the positivity and uncertainty of national identity, Pearson correlation coefficient. 240 higher education applicants were participants in the empirical research. Regarding the general indicator of social intelligence, it was empirically found that slightly more than two-fifths of the respondents have below-average and average levels, slightly more and slightly less than one-twentieth have above-average and high levels, respectively. Respondents with these levels are characterized by their ability to understand the motives of behavior, manifestations of nonverbal and verbal behavioral expression, and predict the actions of others in one-fourth, half, three-fourths, or almost all interactions with them. There is no low level. Regarding the main indicators (valence (positivity) and clarity) of national identity, most of the respondents were found to have a high level, with a small number having average and low levels. Respondents at these levels either fully or partially, do not know and partially agree, or partially disagree with statements about their expression of national self-respect and national dignity in interethnic interactions; their awareness of their national origin and definition of their national affiliation in interethnic interactions, which is related to the levels of their knowledge about the characteristics of their nation and traits of the national character. The established statistical correlations confirmed a certain influence of social intelligence on the indicators (valence (positivity) and clarity) of the national identity of higher education bilingual students.