EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

Terri L. Carter

CURRENT SITUATION

In recent years, increased attention has been given to theories of multiple and alternative conceptions of intelligence. Traditional theories and assessment of intelligence had focused on cognitive skills and development. In the last twenty years, researchers such as Howard Gardner, Daniel Goleman, and Salovey and Mayer have proposed that looking at strictly intellectual/rational methodologies may not be providing a complete picture of an individual’s intelligence capacity. Such tests do not illustrate an individual’s social intelligence and are often not valid predictors of future success. Why do individuals who have high IQ’s sometimes not succeed? Why do others with lower scores have greater success in the ‘real’ world? Why do persons who have relatively equal IQ scores have such disparate success rates? These researchers have proposed that there is a component of intelligence that has been virtually ignored by traditional theories and which may explain some of these disparities. That component is emotional intelligence.

Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligence posits eight competencies or intelligences. These include linguistic, musical, logical-mathematical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, intrapersonal, interpersonal, and naturalist. The definitions for the inter/intrapersonal competencies roughly correspond to Goleman’s thesis. According to Goleman (1995), EI is “being able to motivate oneself and persist in the face of frustrations; to control impulse and delay gratification; to regulate one’s moods and keep distress from swamping the ability to think; to empathize and to hope.” (pg.34) He believes that EI is a necessary, often neglected, component of success in life. Salovey and Mayer’s basic breakdown incorporates Gardner’s personal intelligences into five main domains, which are self-awareness, managing emotions, motivation, empathy and social skills. (Goleman, 1995, pg. 43) The reason that EI has fired such intense public interest is that, unlike traditional ideas of intelligence which posit that intelligence remains relatively static, EI techniques can be learned. It is not based on a measure of innate ability, socioeconomic status or cultural factors. While researchers and practitioners have primarily focused on the development of EI in children to promote future success, it would seem that adult learners could also benefit by learning the components of EI, particularly those involving motivation and social skills.

DEFINITIONS

Definitions of emotional intelligence are as follows. Under Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligence, EI is defined under the aegis of interpersonal/intrapersonal relations, i.e., knowledge of other’s emotions/knowledge of one’s own emotions. (Sattler, 2001; Pfieffer 2001) Salovey and Mayer define emotional intelligence as “the ability or tendency to perceive, understand, regulate, and harness emotions adaptively in the self and in others.”(Schutte, et al. 2001 pg.1) Goleman’s (1995) definition encompasses “being able to rein in emotional impulse; to read another’s innermost feelings; to handle relationships smoothly.” (pg.xiii) According to Schutte, Saarni posits that “the related construct of emotional competence is a crucial component of social development and contributes to the quality of interpersonal relationships.” (pg.2) Further definitions of EI have included cognitive components, “such as emotions aiding judgement and memory” and conceptualizing EI as a trait and an ability. (Schutte, 2001 pg.1)

RELATED TERMS

Terms closely related to emotional intelligence include the following. Interpersonal, “the ability to discern other individuals’ feelings, beliefs, and intentions” is one of Gardner’s competencies, as is intrapersonal, “knowledge of self, including the ability to identify one’s feelings, intentions and motivations.” (Sattler, 2001, pg. 147) Emotional quotient is a term sometimes used in place of EI to indicate a relationship to IQ (intelligence quotient). Social Intelligence is sometimes used when emphasizing the social skills/empathy aspects of EI.

OPERATIONAL DEFINITION

EI is defined as "a set of skills hypothesized to contribute to the accurate appraisal and expression of emotion in oneself and others, the effective regulation of emotion in oneself and others, and the use of feelings to motivate, plan, and achieve in one's life." (Salovey & Mayer, 1990, pg. 185)

APPLICATION

I want to use the operational definition of EI to create a plan for developing emotional intelligence skills in an adult learning environment. I feel that by developing interactive skits (with student input), dealing with developing appropriate/inappropriate responses to various emotions, recognition of different emotions and promotion of empathy will empower learners to become motivated and successful learners (and humans). By examining the primary elements of EI, I hope to be able to formulate the basic structural components of this idea and identify new ways to accommodate different types of learning.

Each skit would focus on a specific emotional intelligence skill area. Putting students in groups of four, each group would choose a particular set of emotions (happy, fear, anger, sad, excited, surprised, etc.) to develop actions (how are these emotions expressed) and responses (how are these emotions dealt with)-both appropriate and inappropriate. The students could then develop skits demonstrating these emotions. It would be the responsibility of each group to model the chosen behaviors for the overall class. One student in the group would express the emotion, and the other group members would illustrate different reactions to it, ending by explaining the process to the class, answering questions and receiving feedback on the performance. In addition, class members could be asked to individually develop one emotion, using facial expression and body language, which would then be performed, allowing the class to determine from those factors what emotion was being expressed. This could then be used as a basis for class discussion on emotional characteristics, methods to manage this emotion (intrapersonal aspect) and respond appropriately to an individual expressing it (interpersonal). Each student could also keep a journal of the emotions/responses developed in class and their reactions to this process. It is my hope that by helping students identify, respond and understand emotions in themselves and others, students can become empowered and successful learners and people.

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ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY

Ackerman, Phillip L. "Adult Intelligence." ERIC Digest. 1996.

Anonymous. "The Ingredients of Emotional Intelligence." Canadian HR Reporter. February 12, 2001.

Goleman, Daniel. Working with Emotional Intelligence. Bantam Books. 1998

Emotional Intelligence. Bantam Books. 1995

Lancer, Ellen G. "Why You Should Care About Your Emotional Intelligence." Healthcare Executive. February, 2002.

Petrides, K.V. and Furnham, Adrian. "Gender Differences In Measured and Self-Estimated Trait Emotional Intelligence." Sex Roles. New York, March 2000.

Pfeiffer, Steven I. "Emotional Intelligence: Popular but Elusive Construct." Roeper Review. Bloomfield Hills. April 2001.

Orotony, Andrew et al. The Cognitive Structure of Emotions. Cambridge University Press. 1988.

Sattler, Jerome M. Assessment of Children: Cognitive Applications. Jerome M. Sattler, Publisher Inc. 2001. Chapter 5

Schutte, Nicola S. et al. "Emotional Intelligence and Interpersonal Relations." The Journal of Social Psychology. Washington, August, 2001.

Yeckovich, Frank R. "Current Issues in Research on Intelligence. " ERIC/AE Digest. April 1994.

VIDEO

Goleman, Daniel. Emotional Intelligence. VHS 1996.

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