Emotional_Intelligence

Emotional Intelligence at Wilkes University

What is Emotional Intelligence?

• Definition: Emotional Intelligence (EI) refers to the ability to accurately reason about emotions and utilize emotional knowledge to enhance thought. (Mayer et al., 2008, p. 511)

• Historical Context:

  • Early research in the 1990s, with the term academic usage dating back to 1985.

  • Pioneered by John Mayer and Peter Salovey, extending Gardner’s Social Intelligence concepts.

• Research Focus:

  • Measuring differences in abilities to manage emotions.

  • Development of two tests; Daniel Goleman is a notable researcher in this field.

Basic Framework for EI

• Founders: Mayer and Salovey proposed the original EI framework.

• The Four Pillars:

  1. Identifying emotions in oneself and others.

  2. Integrating emotions into cognitive processes.

  3. Effectively processing complex emotions.

  4. Regulating one's emotions and those of others.

Components of Emotional Intelligence

• Self Awareness:

  • Recognizing and understanding one’s own emotions.

  • Understanding the impact of one’s emotions on others.

  • Emotion Tracking: Essential for openness to different experiences and learning from social interactions.

• Self Regulation:

  • Abilities include:

    • Flexibility

    • Coping with change

    • Conflict management

    • Navigating through difficult situations and realizing impacts on others.

• Social Skills:

  • Interactions with others leveraging emotional understanding.

  • Key skills include:

    • Active listening

    • Verbal communication

    • Non-verbal communication (e.g., gestures, body language)

    • Leadership and rapport building.

Types of Non-Verbal Communication

1. Facial Expressions

2. Gestures

3. Para-linguistics: September includes tone of voice and loudness.

4. Body Language

5. Proxemics: Personal space.

6. Eye Gaze and Haptics: Touching.

7. Appearance

8. Artifacts: Objects and images that signify information.

9. Electronic Devices.

Empathy

• Definition: Understanding how others feel and being able to respond appropriately.

• Practice: "Walking in someone else's shoes" facilitates accurate emotional recognition.

Motivation

• Intrinsic Motivation:

  • Individuals with high intrinsic motivation are more likely to:

    • Be action-oriented.

    • Set and pursue goals.

    • Seek continuous improvement.

    • Take initiatives in their endeavors.

Importance of EI for Students

• Benefits of High EI in University Students:

  • Lower levels of anxiety and depression.

  • Greater social activity and involvement.

  • Higher chances of maintaining good health and well-being.

Criticisms of Emotional Intelligence

• Debate on EI as Intelligence:

  • Some argue EI is not a true form of intelligence.

  • Measurement challenges due to subjective nature.

  • Susceptibility to falsification in self-reports.

  • Concerns regarding the value of EI measurements.

  • Goleman’s interpretation diverges from original EI concepts.