What is Emotional Intelligence? Emotional intelligence (EI) refers to the ability to perceive, control and evaluate emotions. Some researchers suggest that emotional intelligence can be learned and strengthened, while others claim it is an inborn characteristic. Since 1990, Peter Salovey and John D. Mayer have been the leading researchers on emotional intelligence. In their influential article "Emotional Intelligence," they defined emotional intelligence as, "the subset of social intelligence that involves the ability to monitor one's own and others' feelings and emotions, to discriminate among them and to use this information to guide one's thinking and actions" (1990). The Four Branches of Emotional Intelligence Salovey and Mayer proposed a model that identified four different factors of emotional intelligence: the perception of emotion, the ability reason using emotions, the ability to understand emotion and the ability to manage emotions. 1. Perceiving Emotions: The first step in understanding emotions is to accurately perceive them. In many cases, this might involve understanding nonverbal signals such as body language and facial expressions. 2. Reasoning With Emotions: The next step involves using emotions to promote thinking and cognitive activity. Emotions help prioritize what we pay attention and react to; we respond emotionally to things that garner our attention. 3. Understanding Emotions: The emotions that we perceive can carry a wide variety of meanings. If someone is expressing angry emotions, the observer must interpret the cause of their anger and what it might mean. For example, if your boss is acting angry, it might mean that he is dissatisfied with your work; or it could be because he got a speeding ticket on his way to work that morning or that he's been fighting with his wife. 4. Managing Emotions: The ability to manage emotions effectively is a key part of emotional intelligence. Regulating emotions, responding appropriately and responding to the emotions of others are all important aspect of emotional management. According to Salovey and Mayer, the four branches of their model are, "arranged from more basic psychological processes to higher, more psychologically integrated processes. For example, the lowest level branch concerns the (relatively) simple abilities of perceiving and expressing emotion. In contrast,
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What is Emotional Intelligence?
Emotional intelligence (EI) refers to the ability to perceive, control and evaluate emotions. Some researchers suggest that emotional intelligence can be learned and strengthened, while others claim it is an inborn characteristic.
Since 1990, Peter Salovey and John D. Mayer have been the leading researchers on emotional intelligence. In their influential article "Emotional Intelligence," they defined emotional intelligence as, "the subset of social intelligence that involves the ability to monitor one's own and others' feelings and emotions, to discriminate among them and to use this information to guide one's thinking and actions" (1990).
The Four Branches of Emotional Intelligence
Salovey and Mayer proposed a model that identified four different factors of emotional intelligence: the perception of emotion, the ability reason using emotions, the ability to understand emotion and the ability to manage emotions.
1. Perceiving Emotions: The first step in understanding emotions is to accurately perceive them. In many cases, this might involve understanding nonverbal signals such as body language and facial expressions.
2. Reasoning With Emotions: The next step involves using emotions to promote thinking and cognitive activity. Emotions help prioritize what we pay attention and react to; we respond emotionally to things that garner our attention.
3. Understanding Emotions: The emotions that we perceive can carry a wide variety of meanings. If someone is expressing angry emotions, the observer must interpret the cause of their anger and what it might mean. For example, if your boss is acting angry, it might mean that he is dissatisfied with your work; or it could be because he got a speeding ticket on his way to work that morning or that he's been fighting with his wife.
4. Managing Emotions: The ability to manage emotions effectively is a key part of emotional intelligence. Regulating emotions, responding appropriately and responding to the emotions of others are all important aspect of emotional management.
According to Salovey and Mayer, the four branches of their model are, "arranged from more basic psychological processes to higher, more psychologically integrated processes. For example, the lowest level branch concerns the (relatively) simple abilities of perceiving and expressing emotion. In contrast, the highest level branch concerns the conscious, reflective regulation of emotion" (1997).
A Brief History of Emotional Intelligence
1930s – Edward Thorndike describes the concept of "social intelligence" as the ability to get along with other people.
1940s – David Wechsler suggests that affective components of intelligence may be essential to success in life.
1950s – Humanistic psychologists such asAbraham Maslow describe how people can build emotional strength.
1975 - Howard Gardner publishes The Shattered Mind, which introduces the concept of multiple intelligences.
1985 - Wayne Payne introduces the term emotional intelligence in his doctoral dissertation entitled “A study of emotion: developing emotional intelligence; self-integration; relating to fear, pain and desire (theory, structure of reality, problem-solving, contraction/expansion, tuning in/coming out/letting go).”
1987 – In an article published in Mensa Magazine, Keith Beasley uses the term “emotional quotient.” It has been suggested that this is the first published use of the term, although Reuven Bar-On claims to have used the term in an unpublished version of his graduate thesis.
1990 – Psychologists Peter Salovey and John Mayer publish their landmark article, "Emotional Intelligence," in the journal Imagination, Cognition, and Personality.
1995 - The concept of emotional intelligence is popularized after publication of psychologist and New York Times science writer Daniel Goleman’s book Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ.
Measuring Emotional Intelligence
"In regard to measuring emotional intelligence – I am a great believer that criterion-report (that is, ability testing) is the only adequate method to employ. Intelligence is an ability, and is directly measured only by having people answer questions and evaluating the correctness of those answers." --John D. Mayer
Reuven Bar-On’s EQ-iA self-report test designed to measure competencies including awareness, stress tolerance, problem solving, and happiness. According to Bar-On, “Emotional intelligence is an array of noncognitive capabilities, competencies, and skills that influence one’s ability to succeed in coping with environmental demands and pressures.”
Multifactor Emotional Intelligence Scale (MEIS)An ability-based test in which test-takers perform tasks designed to assess their ability to perceive, identify, understand, and utilize emotions.
Seligman Attributional Style Questionnaire (SASQ)Originally designed as a screening test for the life insurance company Metropolitan Life, the SASQ measures optimism and pessimism.
Emotional Competence Inventory (ECI)Based on an older instrument known as the Self-Assessment Questionnaire, the ECI involves having people who know the individual offer ratings of that person’s abilities on a number of different emotional competencies.
emotional intelligence theory (EQ - Emotional Quotient)
Emotional Intelligence - EQ - is a relatively recent behavioural model, rising to prominence with Daniel Goleman's 1995 Book called 'Emotional Intelligence'. The early Emotional Intelligence theory was originally developed during the 1970s and 80s by the work and writings of psychologists Howard Gardner (Harvard), Peter Salovey (Yale) and John 'Jack' Mayer (New Hampshire). Emotional Intelligence is increasingly relevant to organizational development and developing people, because the EQ principles provide a new way to understand and assess people's behaviours, management styles, attitudes, interpersonal skills, and potential. Emotional Intelligence is an important consideration in human resources planning, job profiling, recruitment interviewing and selection, management development, customer relations and customer service, and more.
Emotional Intelligence links strongly with concepts of love and spirituality: bringing compassion and humanity to work, and also to 'Multiple Intelligence' theory which illustrates and measures the range of capabilities people possess, and the fact that everybody has a value.
The EQ concept argues that IQ, or conventional intelligence, is too narrow; that there are wider areas of Emotional Intelligence that dictate and enable how successful we are. Success requires more than IQ (Intelligence Quotient), which has tended to be the traditional measure of intelligence, ignoring
eseential behavioural and character elements. We've all met people who are academically brilliant and yet are socially and inter-personally inept. And we know that despite possessing a high IQ rating, success does not automatically follow.
Different approaches and theoretical models have been developed for Emotional Intelligence. This summary article focuses chiefly on the Goleman interpretation. The work of Mayer, Salovey and David Caruso (Yale) is also very significant in the field of Emotional Intelligence, and will in due course be summarised here too.
emotional intelligence - two aspects
This is the essential premise of EQ: to be successful requires the effective awareness, control and management of one's own emotions, and those of other people. EQ embraces two aspects of intelligence:
Understanding yourself, your goals, intentions, responses, behaviour and all.
Understanding others, and their feelings.
emotional intelligence - the five domains
Goleman identified the five 'domains' of EQ as:
1. Knowing your emotions.2. Managing your own emotions.3. Motivating yourself.4. Recognising and understanding other people's emotions.5. Managing relationships, ie., managing the emotions of
others.
Emotional Intelligence embraces and draws from numerous other branches of behavioural, emotional and communications theories, such as NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming), Transactional Analysis, and empathy. By developing our Emotional Intelligence in these areas and the five EQ domains we can become more productive and successful at what we do, and help others to be more productive and successful too. The
process and outcomes of Emotional Intelligence development also contain many elements known to reduce stress for individuals and organizations, by decreasing conflict, improving relationships and understanding, and increasing stability, continuity and harmony.
emotional intelligence competence framework, case studies, examples, tools, tests, information and related theory references
The following excellent free Emotional Intelligence materials in pdf file format (Acrobat Reader required to view) are provided with permission of Daniel Goleman on behalf of the Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence, which is gratefully acknowledged:
The Emotional Competence Framework - a generic EQ competence framework produced by Daniel Goleman and CREI covering in summary:
personal competence - self-awareness, self-regulation, self-motivation
social competence - social awareness, social skills
'Emotional Intelligence: what is it and why it matters'. An excellent information paper by Dr Cary Cherniss originally presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, in New Orleans, April 2000. This is a detailed history and explanation of Emotional Intelligence.
The Business Case for Emotional Intelligence - a paper by Dr Cary Cherniss featuring 19 referenced business and
organizational case studies demonstrating how Emotional Intelligence contributes to corporate profit performance. The paper is an excellent tool which trainers, HR professionals and visionaries can use to help justify focus, development, assessment, etc., of EQ in organizations.
Guidelines for Promoting Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace - a paper chiefly constructed by Cary Cherniss and Daniel Goleman featuring 22 guidelines which represent the best current knowledge relating to the promotion of EQ in the workplace, summarised as:
paving the way
assess the organization's needs assessing the individual delivering assessments with care maximising learning choice encouraging participation linking goals and personal values adjusting individual expectations assessing readiness and motivation for EQ development
doing the work of change
foster relationships between EQ trainers and learners self-directed chnage and learning setting goals breaking goals down into achievable steps providing opportunities for practice give feedback using experiential methods build in support use models and examples encourage insight and self-awareness
encourage transfer and maintenance of change (sustainable change)
model: employees with low IQ get higher task performance and organizational citizenship
behavior directed at the organization, the higher their EI.
Emotional Intelligence
The concept of emotional intelligence became popular after the immense success of Daniel Goleman's book in 1995, Emotional Intelligence, Why It Can Matter More Than IQ.
It was followed by a second best seller in 1998 by the same author, Working with Emotional Intelligence. The business community was rocked by the research that overwhelmingly showed that up to 90 percent of one's performance effectiveness was due to emotional savvy rather than technological knowledge.
In a country where IQ and SAT scores have dominated thinking on who is likely to succeed, the evidence is now clear that people skills are far more important when it comes to the bottom line. For many years it had been considered inappropriate to show or to have emotions in a work situation. An overwhelming amount of research shows that not only are emotions very much a part of the work experience, but to a large degree they set the course that a company follows.
Unlike IQ, which is set and unchangeable from childhood on, emotional intelligence can be developed, and in fact, usually does become greater with age and maturity. The importance of developing one's emotional intelligence is essential to success in the workplace. Utilizing the power and energy of one's emotions leads to high motivation, increased problem-solving and improved decision-making.
Understanding emotions contributes toward building an emotionally intelligent organization. An emotionally intelligent organization can be imagined where:
everyone communicates with understanding and respect, where people set group goals and help others work toward them, and where enthusiasm and confidence in the organization are widespread.
Emotional Intelligence describes abilities distinct from and complementary to academic intelligence, the purely cognitive capacities measured by IQ. In 1983 Howard Gardner, a Harvard psychologist, listed seven kinds of intelligence including knowing one's inner world and social adeptness.
Peter Salovey of Yale and John Mayer of the University of New Hampshire coined the term "emotional intelligence" in 1990 and proposed a comprehensive theory. Salovey and Mayer defined emotional intelligence in terms of being able to monitor and regulate one's own and other's feelings, and to use feelings to guide thought and action.
Goleman defines it as the capacity for recognizing our own feelings and those of others, for motivating ourselves, and for managing emotions well in ourselves and in our relationships.
The fact that the term emotional intelligence encompasses so many abilities and competencies dilutes the impact of its meaning. Perhaps Hendrie Weisinger in his 1998 definition says it best: Quite simply, emotional intelligence is the intelligent use of emotions! It is emotionally intelligent when you intentionally make emotions work for you by using them to help guide your behavior and thinking in ways that enhance your results.
Most people have trouble managing situations that are emotionally charged, especially when the emotions aroused are anger and anxiety. When this difficulty is accompanied by, or causes, poor communications skills, then people really do get into trouble. Those individuals who are able to handle their emotions, not just the expression or regulation of them, but who are also able to generate the kinds of emotions that are productive and efficient, are indeed emotionally intelligent.
Research into emotions has been greatly enhanced by brain-imaging technologies in the last decade. For the first time ever, scientists have been able to study the functioning of the brain on living subjects and to map out the centers responsible for thinking and feeling.
As thinking human beings, we value our rationality and cognitive powers that set us apart from the animal kingdom. The neo-cortex, the center for rational thinking and decision-making, is the newer part of the brain that is highly developed in humans. The emotional parts of the brain are located in the more ancient, central parts of the brain called the limbic system, including the amygdala, the center active during anger.
All emotions are in essence impulses to act. The very root of the word is from the Latin verb to move. That emotions lead to actions is obvious from watching animals or children. Only in civilized adults do we expect actions to be divorced from emotional reactions. But even as highly intelligent and civilized adults, we can never disengage our emotional brain¾ it is always there, sending emotional signals to act and react, even when there is no logic.
Most people believe that emotions are caused by events. They are in fact caused by our interpretations of events, sometimes so fleeting and fast as to be beneath the level of consciousness. Our pre-conscious, split-second thoughts give rise to
automatic emotional reactions. We then have a choice as to how we behave, what we say, and how we handle a situation. The appropriateness of our actions and the effectiveness of our communications make up our emotional intelligence. A person who is highly-developed emotionally becomes sensitive to pre-conscious thoughts, questions their validity and appropriateness, and is able to directly influence feelings, thoughts and behaviors.
Social scientists have long been aware that IQ tests are inadequate for predicting success in life. IQ scores account for as little as 25% in predicting future success in college. In the work environment, technical savvy and knowledge may contribute as little as four to ten percent towards performance effectiveness. Over ninety percent of effectiveness at work is attributed to one's emotional intelligence. EQ, a term coined to express the measure of one's emotional intelligence, has been proposed as the answer to why some people with average IQs end up more successful in life than some with brilliant IQ scores.
What is "EQ" and how do you measure it?
IQ is a measure of one's cognitive abilities, and has been quantified and validated by scientists since the first decades of this century. IQ measures spatial and mathematical reasoning, verbal comprehension, information and memory.
To measure one's emotional functioning is a more complicated task. First, one has to precisely define the components of emotionally intelligence. Then, one has to design questions that can be scientifically validated as measuring what they set out to measure.
It is useful to look at Goleman's five major factors of emotional intelligence. He summarizes emotional intelligence into the following components:
1. Emotional self-awareness2. Managing one's own emotions3. Using emotions to maximize intellectual processing and decision-making,
including self-motivation4. Developing empathy5. The art of social relationships and managing emotions in others
In 1997, Dr. Reuven Bar-On developed the "E.Q.-I", an "emotional intelligence inventory" published by Multi-Health Systems, Inc. It has been validated on over 4000 subjects in North America of diverse backgrounds.
Although they were so small as to be statistically insignificant, there were some gender differences. More specifically, women are more aware of their emotions, show more empathy, relate better interpersonally, and act more socially responsible than men. Men appear to have better self-regard, are more
independent, solve problems better, are more flexible, and cope better with stress.
A look at what the "E.Q.-I" measures contributes to an understanding of the components of emotional intelligence.
A. Problem SolvingB. Reality TestingC. Flexibility
4. Stress Management ComponentsB. Impulse Control
5. General Mood Components
How does one scientifically measure someone's happiness? The E.Q.-I is a self-report test, as are other such tests designed to measure emotional intelligence. It is limited by the honesty, insight and awareness of the person taking the test. There is no way yet to accurately measure one's emotional intelligence, and all tests purporting to do so are really measuring one's self-perception. Nevertheless, such information can be useful in designing coaching programs and planning goals for personal and professional growth.
Other tests that propose to measure "E.Q." are Daniel Goleman's Emotional Competence Inventory, the Simmons Personal Survey, and Robert K. Cooper's "EQ Map." All allow an individual to chart strengths and vulnerabilities on emotional intelligence components.
Application: Why Learning the Skills of Emotional Intelligence is Crucial
When Daniel Goleman first talked about emotional intelligence he made a big point about how everyday we are assaulted by news in the media of someone gone berserk. People lose control of their emotions and go on rampant shooting sprees. Since 1995, we have been further shocked by several occurrences of school children killing other children.
What is happening in this country that on financial, technological, and business levels seems to be so far advanced and sophisticated? The evidence of emotional dysfunction and personal discomfort is apparent on every level from the school room to the board room of major corporations.
There is a need to teach how to relate to others using emotional intelligence, how to develop one's EQ, and how to apply the knowledge of emotional intelligence in the work place.
More than ever, one's competency at work will be determined and evaluated on emotional intelligence. In today's world of diminishing job security, one's personal growth and development must include strengthening of emotional capacities in order to survive.
Although many authors have jumped on the current popularity of the concept, there are only a few books that are adept at providing steps to improve one's E.Q. Three books stand out in their ability to teach the tools of emotional intelligence:
1. Robert K. Cooper's Executive EQ: Emotional Intelligence in Leadership and Organizations (1997),
2. Hendrie Weisinger's Emotional Intelligence at Work (1998),3. Seymour Epstein's Constructive Thinking, the Key to Emotional
Intelligence (1998).
Daniel Goleman makes a strong case for working with a coach to improve one's E.Q. in a recent article in the Harvard Business Review. Indeed, emotional competencies would be difficult to learn from a book, and must be strengthened by working with another individual, preferably a professional familiar with the individual's needs and environment.
Teaming, Group IQ and How it is Affected by EQ:
When emotions are acknowledged and guided constructively, they enhance intellectual performance. Robert Rosenthal, a Harvard expert on empathy, has shown that when people administering IQ tests treat their subjects warmly, the test scores are higher.
In meetings and in group settings where people come together to collaborate, there is a strong sense of a group IQ, the sum total of intellectual knowledge and skills in the room. The most important element in a group's intelligence is not the average or highest IQ, but emotional intelligence. A single participant who is low in EQ can lower the collective IQ of the entire group. Robert Sternberg and Wendy Williams of Yale have studied this "group IQ."
Thus, a group may be able to work smarter than its members' collective intelligences would suggest, but it can also rapidly work dumber by not allowing people to share talents and by allowing destructive discontent, domineering, or infighting to degrade performance and stymie progress.
This has obvious impact on the effectiveness of teams and work groups. Today's fast-changing work environments require more open and fluid work styles. Teaming, in order to be effective, requires people to have a high degree of both intellect and EQ. People need to be able to handle their own and other's emotions in order to trust and team up for problem-solving and decision-making.
Ten Steps for Promoting Your Emotional Intelligence
1. Know yourself well through the use of assessment tools to understand your strengths and vulnerabilities.
2. Work with a mentor or personal coach to improve your EQ.3. Identify the causes of feelings: become aware of split-second,
preconscious thoughts and their possible distortions.4. Become aware of your emotional style: what do you do to avoid
discomfort?5. Learn to differentiate between emotion and the subsequent need to take
action. a) The need to promote action in response to avoidance, withdrawal, and sadness.b) The need to inhibit action in response to anger and hostility.
6. Acquire the skills of "learned optimism": what is your personal explanatory style? How do you explain events to yourself, both good and bad? Increase your optimism when appropriate and beneficial.
7. Listening for the "lessons" of feelings: turn mistakes into energy.8. Using "somatic markers" in decision-making: trust your gut and use it.9. Developing listening skills and in asking open-ended questions: "listening
is the best way to get your point across."10. Increase positive feedback to yourself, to others. Learn to reframe
negatives. Increase your appreciation of yourself and others.