Tromso Social Intelligence Scale – TSIS
A self-report instrument designed to measure social intelligence across three dimensions: social information processing, social skills, and social awareness.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Tromso Social Intelligence Scale – TSIS was developed by David Silvera, Martin Martinussen, Tove Dahl (2001). It is designed to measure Social Intelligence. The scale is intended for use with Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 21 items organized into 3 factors/subscales: Social Skills, Social Awareness, Social Information Processing.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Social Skills | 4,7,10,12,15,18,20 | 7 |
| Social Awareness | 2,5,8,11,13,16,21 | 7 |
| Social Information Processing | 1,3,6,9,14,17,19 | 7 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Describes me extremely poorly, 2 = 2, 3 = 3, 4 = 4, 5 = 5, 6 = 6, 7 = Describes me extremely well.
The scale includes 11 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 21 to 147. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Social Intelligence: 21 – 63
- Moderate Social Intelligence: 64 – 105
- High Social Intelligence: 106 – 147
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Social Skills: .85, Social Awareness: .72, Social Information Processing: .79.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.