The term emotional intelligence conveys some aspects of present-day zeitgeists; it captures something of the many competing interests or spirits of our age (Mayer, Salovey & Caruso 2000b, p. 97).
Emotional Intelligence is an emerging idea and as such there is no absolute definition for it. Over the last two decades a number of definitions have been developed. Psychologists Dr John Mayer, of the University of New Hampshire, and Dr Peter Salovey, of Yale University, first published two scientific articles on emotional intelligence in 1990. The literature on emotional intelligence derives largely from these two articles in the research area of scientific psychology; specifically the areas of personality psychology and social intelligence (Brackett & Mayer 2003; Mayer 2000b; Mayer & Salovey 1997; Mayer et al. 2000a; Mayer et al. 2001; Salovey & Mayer 1990).
Available literature on the topic since 1990, discusses the conception, measurement, models, and utility of emotional intelligence, including vigorous debate as to whether emotional intelligence is intelligence at all (Davies et al. 1998; Emmerling & Goleman 2003; Mayer & Salovey 1993; Mayer & Salovey 1997; Palmer et al. 2005; Roberts et al. 2001; Salovey & Mayer 1990). The final form of emotional intelligence – perhaps as the best predictor of success in life (Freedman 2005) – was yet to emerge. The history of the field was still being written (Caruso 2005).
Since the popularization of the concept of emotional intelligence in a social science book of the same name (Goleman 1995), the appearance of emotional intelligence on the cover of TIME Magazine (Gibbs 1995), and the Mayer and Salovey (1997) article, “What is emotional intelligence?”, a lot has been written on the subject in the psychology, social science, neuropsychology, and management disciplines.
Despite this, a clearly identified construct of emotional intelligence had not been identified and there was no consensual definition of the term “emotional intelligence” (Davies et al. 1998; Matthews et al. 2004; Palmer, Gardiner & Stough 2003b), but work on identifying this construct has begun (Bar-On & Parker 2000). Several authors have since constructed further models of emotional intelligence.
Since its beginnings in the early 1990s a number of different models and measures of Emotional Intelligence have been developed including: Bar-On, 1997; Cooper & Sawaf, 1997; Mayer & Salovey, 1997;Goleman, 1998; Palmer & Stough 2001. You can read my 2006 summary of models of emotional intelligence here. Of these, arguably one of most theoretically advanced is Mayer and Salovey’s (1997) ability model.
The ability model has been conceptualized from research and theory on moods, emotions, and the processing of emotional information. It describes Emotional Intelligence as intelligence in the traditional sense. That is, as a conceptually related set of abilities to do with emotions and the processing of emotional information that are a part of, and contribute to, logical thought and intelligence in general.
It is the Mayer, Salovey and Caruso ability model, Bar-on EQ-i trait approach, and Genos competency model of emotional intelligence that inform EASEQuadrant, my systematic method of learning for applying emotional intelligence in your personal life, home, community and work place.
I am certified to administer three emotional intelligence psychometric tests: MSCEIT, EQ-i and Genos, and will provide you written personal development reports on where to strengthen your emotional skills. My Emotional Leader Programs guarantee that you will get from where you are to where you want to be when you apply your emotional intelligence. To review my leadership programs click here.
Emotional Intelligence Links
Dr. Mike Gosling’s 2006 Thesis – The Emotional Intelligence of Managers in Singapore
Dr. Mike Gosling’s 2006 Thesis Reference List
Emotional Leadership. Using emotionally intelligent behaviour to enjoy a life of EASE – Chapter 1
MSCEIT – Ability model of emotional intelligence
David Caruso’s EI Skills Group
Recommended Books on Emotional Intelligence
The Emotionally Intelligent Leader – Dr. Ben Palmer
Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in Organizations
Complete the Genos EI Short Inventory
Emotional Competency Inventory
According to Dr Dorrian Aiken, part-time lecturer at the University of Stellenbosch Business School, EQ is considered to be more important than IQ in leadership, management , parenting and teaching “because emotions are contagious”.
