Social intelligence modularity

Dissection of components of social intelligence like those listed in Table 3 seems to imply a modular structure. It suggests there is cognitive specialization for dealing with the social world (rather than the physical world of food items, tools, etc.), and... 

Gigerenzer G 1997 The modularity of social intelligence. In Whiten A, Byrne RW (eds) Machiavellian intelligence II evaluations and extensions. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, p 264—288... 

Whiten Well, that would appear to be consistent with social modularity. But what kind of tests have been used I worry whether paper and pencil tests will get at the real social intelligence at stake. 

Whiten I was wanting to be non-committal about that. I was saying that social modularity of intelligence is one alternative. But as I also noted, explicit testing of that has been minimal in primatology. It is mainly people working with humans who have been advocating special social modules. 

---