Social Intelligence and Critical Thinking among Faculty: A Multivariate and Network Perspective

This study examines the dynamic interplay between social intelligence and critical thinking among faculty members at Jordanian universities, framed within an educational psychology perspective. Employing a descriptivecorrelational design, data were gathered from 357 faculty members using rigorously validated measures of social intelligence (comprising Social Information Processing, Social Skills, and Social Awareness) and critical thinking (encompassing Analysis, Interpretation, Evaluation, Inference, and Self-Regulation). Results revealed robust positive correlations among most subscales, with gender differences favoring female faculty and significant variation across academic ranks, as confirmed by independent samples t-tests and multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). Partial correlation analyses and network modeling were applied to elucidate underlying structural relationships further. The network approach identified Interpretation, Social Skills, and Self-Regulation as pivotal nodes, underscoring their critical role in integrating social and cognitive faculties. These key constructs represent strategic leverage points for faculty development programs designed to foster enhanced pedagogical and research capabilities. Collectively, findings highlight the synergistic nexus of social and cognitive competencies within academic settings and demonstrate the value of network-based analytical frameworks for advancing educational research.