Psychological mechanisms of development of social intelligence of juvenile convicts
Authors:   The Vologda Institute of Law and Economics of the Federal Penal Service of Russia, Panova O.B. , Zautorova E.V. ,   The Vologda Institute of Law and Economics of the Federal Penal Service of Russia, Sobolev N.G. ,   The Vologda Institute of Law and Economics of the Federal Penal Service of Russia
Published: October 2020

The solution of the problem of preventing recidivism of juvenile convicts is associated with psychological interaction with inmates of correctional institution with an emphasis on the formation of their ability to foresee the results of their actions. In modern psychological science, the problem of cognition of social phenomena from the point of view of predicting their consequences is carried out in the framework of the study of social intelligence of a person and the mechanisms of its functioning. The works of J. Gilford, G. Allport, R. Selman, R. Sternberg, V. N. Kunitsyna, E. S. Mikhailova, A. I. Savenkova, D. V. Ushakov and others are devoted to the issues of social intelligence, they consider this phenomenon as the ability to cognize social phenomena, an additional feature that ensures the successful functioning of a person in society. Building a system of psychological support for the development of social intelligence by juvenile convicts is based on identifying the mechanisms of its functioning. The analysis of works devoted to the description of the mechanisms of development of social intelligence (M. I. Bobneva, O. Yu. Masyagina, V. S. Mukhina, D. V. Ushakov), correlated with applied tasks and the positive potential of personal development of juvenile convicts, allows to present a multilevel structure of psychological mechanisms of development of social intelligence in this category of offenders, which includes the following processes: identification and isolation, recognition of motives of behavior of all participants of communication, reflection. To confirm the assumptions about the significant influence of reflexive processes on the level of social intelligence of juvenile convicts, we conducted an empirical study, including ascertaining and forming experiments. The basis of the forming experiment was a training, including a system of exercises, among which a special role was given to the dilemma. Due to reflection in the course of solving dilemmas, the minor’s selfanalysis and awareness of social norms take place, which are transformed into his social experience. The role of the psychologist in this case consists in the formation of the wards of a positive “Self-conception”, encouraging them to imitate a positive image, creating a favorable atmosphere of communication. The effectiveness of dilemmas increases when its substantive basis is relevant, causes an emotional response; at the same time, the gradual adoption of moral choices is accompanied by a psychologist. The dynamics of the development of social intelligence of juvenile convicts was determined by comparing the results of diagnosing social intelligence before and after the forming experiment using the test “Diagnosis of social intelligence” by J. p. Gilford and M. Sullivan as adapted by E. S. Mikhailova. In the course of verification, the position was confirmed that the stimulation of reflexive processes has a significant impact on the development of social intelligence. Prospects for further research on the psychological mechanisms of social intelligence of juvenile convicts are associated with the integration of psychological and pedagogical knowledge, continuity in the psychological and pedagogical support of the process under study at the penitentiary and post-penitentiary stages.