Efficiency of Collaborative Computer Problem Solving by the Students of Adolescence and Youth: The Contribution of Social Intelligence

The present study is focused on the measurement of the development of the higher mental actions of analysis and planning as the main components of theoretical thinking by the younger adolescences in the individual and collaborative game problem solving conditions. The previously elaborated computer game system “PL-modified” was used. Social and emotional intelligence as well as gender factor were additionally controlled. 189 middle-school students from the 5-6th grades participated in this study. The results showed that game efficiency as a factor of mental action planning was higher in collaborative problem solving conditions (in comparison with the individual game) no matter which additional factor was controlled. Furthermore, the whole sample was divided in two groups by the criterion of the level of social intelligence of those participants who played in each pair. Thus, the group 1 included players with the equal level of social intelligence whereas the group 2 was presented by the gamers with the different levels of social intelligence. The pairs form the group 1 outperformed those participants from the group 2 in their game efficiency. Another independent result concerns significant impact of social intelligence on the game performance in the pairs of boys. The present results are discussed in terms of the prospects of the usage of ‘PL-modified’ computer game system as a diagnostic tool for mental actions by young adolescents and their cognitive abilities.