emotional intelligence

(noun)

The ability, capacity, or skill to perceive, assess, and manage the emotions of oneself, of others, and of groups.

Related Terms

Examples of emotional intelligence in the following topics:

  • Defining Intelligence

    • Cattell proposed two types of intelligence rather than a single general intelligence.
    • In 1990, Peter Salovey and John Mayer coined the term "emotional intelligence" and defined it as "the ability to monitor one's own and others' feelings, to discriminate among them, and to use this information to guide one's thinking and actions. " Hendrie Weisinger also worked with theories of emotional intelligence.
    • He emphasized the significance of learning and making emotions work to improve oneself and others.
    • He documented and illustrated the positive effect emotions could have in personal settings and work environments.
    • Both emotional intelligence and social intelligence have been positively associated with good leadership skills, good interpersonal skills, positive outcomes in classroom situations, and better functioning in the world.

  • Controversies in Intelligence and Standardized Testing

    • Intelligence tests (such as IQ tests) have always been controversial; critics claim that they measure factors other than intelligence.
    • Psychometricians have sought to make intelligence tests more culture fair and valid over the years, and to make sure that they measure g, or the "general intelligence factor" thought to underly all intelligence.
    • Again, even if intelligence scores correlate with job success, this does not mean that people with high intelligence will always be successful at work.
    • They concluded that the SAT is primarily a test of g or general intelligence.
    • As such, IQ tests are also criticized for assessing only those particular areas emphasized in the western conceptualization of intelligence, such as problem-solving, and failing to account for other areas such as creativity or emotional intelligence.

  • Theories of Multiple Intelligence

    • Theories of multiple intelligence contend that intelligence cannot be measured by a single factor.
    • Today, the most widely accepted theory of intelligence is the "three stratum theory," which recognizes that there are three different levels of intelligence, all governed by the top level, g, or general intelligence factor.
    • Gardner identified eight specific intelligences and two additional tentative ones:
    • In 1986, Robert Sternberg proposed a Triarchic Theory of intelligence.
    • If a savant such as Peek was measured by Gardner's multiple intelligence theory, he would be considered to be very gifted in a subtype of intelligence, such as linguistics.

  • Genetic Basis of Intelligence and Learning

    • Although environment also plays an important role, genetics influence human intelligence and our capacity to learn in many ways.
    • One of the most extensively studied behavioral traits is intelligence.
    • There has been significant controversy in the academic community about the heritability of IQ, or Intelligence Quotient, which seeks to determine to what extent an individual's IQ level is influenced by genetics.
    • Recent research shows that under normal circumstances, intelligence involves multiple genes; however certain single-gene genetic disorders can severely affect intelligence.
    • It looks at what environmental, emotional and social situations are best in order for new information to be retained and stored in the brain via the linking of neurons, rather than allowing the dendrites to be reabsorbed and the information to be lost.

  • Cognitive Development in Adulthood

    • In postformal thinking, decisions are made based on situations and circumstances, and logic is integrated with emotion as adults develop principles that depend on contexts.
    • Two forms of intelligence—crystallized and fluid—are the main focus of middle adulthood.
    • This kind of intelligence tends to hold steady as we age—in fact, it may even improve.
    • For example, adults show relatively stable to increasing scores on intelligence tests until their mid-30s to mid-50s (Bayley & Oden, 1955).
    • Fluid intelligence, on the other hand, is more dependent on basic information-processing skills and starts to decline even prior to middle adulthood.

  • The Intellectually Gifted

    • At one time, giftedness was defined based solely upon an individual's IQ (intelligence quotient) score.
    • A variety of criteria are used to define giftedness, including measures of intelligence, creativity, and achievement, as well as interviews with parents and teachers.
    • The potential disadvantages, however, are substantial: younger students will experience physical development later than their grade-level peers and may experience emotional development later as well.
    • Evangelos Katsioulis is considered to be one of the most intelligent men on Earth, with a Stanford-Binet score of 205.
    • Discuss the benefits and disadvantages to creating special programs for individuals with gifted intelligence

  • Learning Disabilities and Special Education

    • Intellectual disabilities were previously referred to as mental retardation (MR)—though this older term is being used less frequently—which was historically defined as an intelligence quotient (IQ) score under 70.
    • Although many children with ASD display normal intelligence, they may require special support due to other symptoms of the disorder.
    • Dyslexia is characterized by difficulty with learning to read or write fluently and with accurate comprehension, despite normal intelligence.
    • In addition to the disabilities listed above, IDEA covers deaf-blindness, deafness, developmental delays, hearing impairments, emotional disturbance, orthopedic or other health impairment, speech or language impairment, traumatic brain injury, and visual impairment (including blindness).
    • Although many children with ASD display normal intelligence, they often require special support due to other symptoms of the disorder.

  • Cerebral Cortex

    • At times it has been theorized that brain size correlated positively with intelligence; it has also been suggested that surface area of cortex (basically, "wrinkliness" of the brain) rather than brain size that correlates most directly with intelligence.
    • It is the seat of higher-level thought like emotions and decision making (as opposed to lower-level thought like balance, movement, and reflexes).

  • Cannon–Bard Theory of Emotion

    • The Cannon–Bard theory of emotion argues that physiological arousal and emotional experience occur simultaneously but independently.
    • Researchers have developed several theories of how human emotions arise and are represented in the brain.
    • The Cannon–Bard theory of emotion was developed by researchers who criticized the James–Lange theory for its limited ability to account for the wide variety of emotions experienced by human beings.
    • While the James–Lange theory proposes that emotions arise from physical arousal the Cannon–Bard theory argues that physiological arousal and emotional experience occur simultaneously, yet independently (Lang, 1994).
    • According to the Cannon–Bard theory, emotional expression results from activation of the subcortical centers of the brain.

  • History of Intelligence Testing

    • Intelligence testing has evolved over time as researchers continually seek the best method for measuring intelligence.
    • Our concept of intelligence has evolved over time, and intelligence tests  have evolved along with it.
    • This term was later used in 1905 by Alfred Binet and Theodore Simon, who published the first modern intelligence test, the Binet-Simon intelligence scale.
    • In 1939, David Wechsler published the first intelligence test explicitly designed for an adult population, known as the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, or WAIS.
    • Cattell created the Culture-Fair Intelligence Test.