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Emotional intelligence

Emotional intelligence (EI) is defined as the ability to perceive, use, understand, manage, and handle emotions. People with high emotional intelligence can recognize their own emotions and those of others, use emotional information to guide thinking and behavior, discern between different feelings and label them appropriately, and adjust emotions to adapt to environments.[1]

For the book, see Emotional Intelligence.

Although the term first appeared in 1964,[2] it gained popularity in the 1995 bestselling book Emotional Intelligence by science journalist Daniel Goleman. Goleman defined EI as the array of skills and characteristics that drive leadership performance.[3] Some researchers suggest that emotional intelligence can be learned and strengthened, while others claim it is an inborn characteristic.[4]


Various models have been developed to measure EI. In 1987, Keith Beasley used the term Emotional Quotient (EQ) in an article, named after the Intelligence Quotient (IQ).[5] The trait model, developed by Konstantinos V. Petrides in 2001, focuses on self reporting of behavioral dispositions and perceived abilities.[6] The ability model, (Mayeret al., 2023) focuses on the individual's ability to process emotional information and use it to navigate the social environment.[7] Goleman's original model may now be considered a mixed model that combines what has since been modeled separately as ability EI and trait EI.


Recent research has focused on emotion recognition, which refers to the attribution of emotional states based on observations of visual and auditory nonverbal cues.[8] In addition, neurological studies have sought to characterize the neural mechanisms of emotional intelligence.[9]


Studies show that there is a correlation between people with high EI and positive workplace performance,[10] although no causal relationships have been shown. EI is typically associated with empathy because it involves a person connecting their personal experiences with those of others. Since its popularization in recent decades, methods of developing EI have become sought by people seeking to become more effective leaders.[11]


Criticisms have centered on whether EI is a real intelligence, and whether it has incremental validity over IQ and the Big Five personality traits.[12][13] However, meta-analyses have found that certain measures of EI have validity even when controlling for IQ and personality.[14][15]

History[edit]

The concept of Emotional Strength was introduced by Abraham Maslow in the 1950s.[16] The term "emotional intelligence" seems first to have appeared in a 1964 paper by Michael Beldoch,[17] and in the 1966 paper by B. Leuner titled Emotional Intelligence and Emancipation which appeared in the psychotherapeutic journal Practice of child psychology and child psychiatry.[18]


In 1983, Howard Gardner's Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences[19] introduced the idea that traditional types of intelligence, such as IQ, fail to fully explain cognitive ability. He introduced the idea of multiple intelligences which included both interpersonal intelligence (the capacity to understand the intentions, motivations and desires of other people) and intrapersonal intelligence (the capacity to understand oneself, to appreciate one's feelings, fears and motivations).[20]


The first published use of the term "EQ" (Emotional Quotient) is an article by Keith Beasley in 1987 in the British Mensa magazine.[5]


In 1989, Stanley Greenspan put forward a model to describe EI, followed by another by Peter Salovey and John Mayer the following year.[21]


However, the term became widely known with the publication of Goleman's book: Emotional Intelligence – Why it can matter more than IQ (1995).[22] It is to this book's bestselling status that the term can attribute its popularity.[23] Goleman followed up with several similar publications that reinforce use of the term.[24][25]


Late in 1998, Goleman's Harvard Business Review article entitled "What Makes a Leader?"[3] caught the attention of senior management at Johnson & Johnson's Consumer Companies (JJCC). The article spoke to the importance of Emotional Intelligence (EI) in leadership success, and cited several studies that demonstrated that EI is often the distinguishing factor between great leaders and average leaders. JJCC funded a study which concluded that there was a strong relationship between superior performing leaders and emotional competence, supporting theorists' suggestions that the social, emotional, and relational competency set referred to as Emotional Intelligence is a distinguishing factor in leadership performance.[26]


Tests measuring EI have not replaced IQ tests as a standard metric of intelligence,[27] and Emotional Intelligence has received criticism regarding its role in leadership and business success.[28]