Emotional Intelligence
(Goleman)

12manage reaches 100.000 members

Non-cognitive aspects of intelligence. Explanation of Emotional Intelligence. Robert Thorndike ['37], David Wechsler ['40], Howard Gardner ['83], Salovey & Mayer ['90], Daniel Goleman. ['95]


  

Join our management communities

Register a Free Membership


Full Name:*
Company:  
Street + nr:*
City:*
State:  
Postal Code:*
Country:*
E-mail:* (This will be your username)
I agree to the Terms of Service.

Emotional Intelligence history

When psychologists began to write and think about intelligence, they initially focused on cognitive aspects, such as memory and problem-solving. However, some researchers recognized the importance of non-cognitive aspects early on:

  • Robert Thorndike was writing about social intelligence in 1937,

  • David Wechsler defined intelligence as the aggregate or global capacity of the individual to act purposefully, to think rationally, and to deal effectively with his environment (Wechsler, 1958, p. 7). Already in 1940 Wechsler referred to non-intellective as well as intellective elements (Wechsler, 1940), by which he meant affective, personal, and social factors. Furthermore, already in 1943 Wechsler was proposing that the non-intellective abilities are essential for predicting ones ability to succeed in life.

  • Howard Gardner began to write about multiple intelligence in 1983. He proposed that intrapersonal and interpersonal intelligences and the type of intelligence (typically measured by IQ and related tests) are equally important.

  • Salovey and Mayer actually coined the term emotional intelligence in 1990. They described emotional intelligence as "a form of social intelligence that involves the ability to monitor own and others feelings and emotions, to discriminate among them, and to use this information to guide ones thinking and action" (Salovey & Mayer, 1990). Salovey and Mayer also initiated a research program intended to develop valid measures of emotional intelligence and to explore its significance.

In doing the research for his first book, Daniel Goleman became aware of Salovey and Mayers work in the early 1990s. Being trained as a psychologist at Harvard, where he worked with David McClelland, Goleman wrote the popular bestseller "Emotional Intelligence" (1995), in which he offered the first ' proof'  that emotional and social factors are important.

 

Five Domains of Emotional Intelligence

Goleman in 1995 agrees with Salovey's Five Main Domains of Emotional Intelligence (p. 43)

  • Knowing one's emotions. Self-awareness, recognizing a feeling while it happens.

  • Managing emotions. The ability of handling feelings so they are appropriate.

  • Motivating oneself. Marshalling emotions in the service of a goal.

  • Recognizing emotions in others. Empathy, social awareness.

  • Handling relationships. Skill in managing emotions in others.

Four domains of Emotional Intelligence

More recently, Goleman favors only Four Domains of EI. The 4 domains have 19 categories, as described in his 2002-book "Primal Leadership". 2 extra categories were added by the Hay Group:

  • Self-awareness (Emotional Self-Awareness. Accurate Self-Assessment and Self Confidence)

  • Self-management (Emotional Self-Control. Transparency (Trustworthiness). Adaptability. Achievement Orientation. Initiative. Optimism. Conscientiousness)

  • Social awareness (Empathy. Organizational Awareness. Service Orientation)

  • Relationship management (Inspirational Leadership. Influence. Developing Others. Change Catalyst. Conflict Management. Building Bonds. Teamwork and Collaboration. Communication)

An important thing to understand is that - according to Goleman - these EI competencies are not innate talents. They are learned abilities.

 

IQ or EI?

According to some scientists, IQ by itself is not a very good predictor of job performance. Hunter and Hunter (1984) estimated that at best IQ accounts for about 25 percent of the variance. Sternberg (1996) has pointed out that studies vary and that 10 percent may be a more realistic estimate. In some studies, IQ accounts for as little as 4 percent of the variance. In a recent meta-analysis examining the correlation and predictive validity of EI when compared to IQ or general mental ability, Van Rooy and Viswesvaran (2004) found IQ to be a better predictor of work and academic performance than EI. However, when it comes to the question of whether a person will become a "star performer" (in the top ten percent, however such performance is appropriately assessed) within that role, or be an outstanding leader, IQ may be a less powerful predictor than emotional intelligence (Goleman 1998, 2001, 2002).

 

IQ and EI: pure types

According to Goleman, IQ and EI should not be regarded as competencies with an opposite direction. They are rather separate competencies. People with a high IQ but low EI (or the opposite) are, despite the stereotypes, relatively rare. There is a correlation between IQ and some aspects of EI. The stereotypes (pure types) are:

  • (Pure) High-IQ male. He is typified - no surprise - by a wide range of intellectual interest and abilities. He is ambitious and productive. Predictable and dogged. And untroubled by concerns about himself. He also tends to be critical and condescending. Fastidious and inhibited. Uneasy with sexuality and sensual experience. Unexpressive and detached. And emotionally bland and cold.

  • (Pure) High-EI male. He is socially poised. Outgoing and cheerful. Not prone to fearfulness or worried rumination. He has a notable capacity for commitment to people or causes, for taking responsibility, and for having an ethical outlook. He is sympathetic and caring in his relationships. His emotional life is rich, but appropriate. He is comfortable with himself, others, and the social universe he lives in.

  • (Pure) High-IQ female. She has the expected intellectual confidence. Is fluent in expressing her thoughts. Values intellectual matters. And has a wide range of intellectual and aesthetic interests. She tends to be introspective. Prone to anxiety, rumination, and guilt. And hesitates to express her anger openly.

  • (Pure) High-EI female. She tend to be assertive and expresses her feelings directly. And feels positive about herself. Life holds meaning for her. She is outgoing and gregarious. And expresses her feelings appropriately. She adapts well to stress. Her social poise lets her easily reach out to new people. She is comfortable enough with herself to be playful, spontaneous, and open to sensual experience. She rarely feels guilty, or sinks into rumination.

Assessing and measuring Emotional Intelligence

Instruments used for measuring Emotional Intelligence

  • EQ-I (Bar-On, 1997): a self-report instrument to  assess those personal qualities that enabled some people to possess better emotional well-being than others.

  • Multifactor Emotional Intelligence Scale (Mayer, Caruso, & Salovey, 1998):  a test of ability where the test-taker performs a series of tasks that are designed to assess the persons ability to perceive, identify, understand, and work with emotion.

  • Emotional Competence Inventory (ECI) (Goleman, 1998):  a 360 degree instrument, where people evaluate the individuals within an organization (Individual Feedback Reports). Or the organization as a whole (Work Force Audits). These audits can provide an organizational profile for any size group within the company. The Emotional Competence Inventory works with the 19/21 competencies described above (See under Four Domains of EI).

Book: Daniel Goleman - Emotional Intelligence -

 

Emotional Intelligence Special Interest Group


Visit the Special Interest Group

Emotional Intelligence Forum

Recent User Comments
 - Trinidad Emotional Response "If you were to choke while eating I will bring you a glass of water. If you spilled, without you having to ask I will hand you a napkin. I believe these responses to your immediate discomfort were appropriate. This is my emotional intelligence being activated to assist you."    0
Mario M. - USA EI and High School "Today, 10-21-2009, my wife and I attended a session("APA speaker series - what are our children going through") at our daughter's high school. The session was chaired by a rep from family lifeworks. I was amazed to learn about EI. As soon as we arrived at our home, I Googled mr. Daniel goleman. So much to learn; hopefully I can be a better father to my 11th grader; oh, she aspires to be a doctor of psychology in clinical psychology; she wants to one day have her own office to help teenagers deal with behavior issues."    0
Kevin Garvin - USA Emotional Intelligence of Groups / Companies "I wonder, besides the obvious EI on the individual level, can we also observe Emotional Intelligent groups or even Emotional Intelligent enterprises?"    1
J. Irudhaya Rajesh - PASIFA - India Emotional & Social Intelligence ""Emotional Intelligence responsible for Intra-personal Communication and Social Intelligence responsible for Inter-personal Communication makes leadership in any organization a transformational subject.""    1
Vinay - India Where does Wisdom come from? "Why are some wiser? We see educated people but unwise. We see less literate people but wise. Is it one's thoughts which make someone wise/unwise? Or is it something else? Where does the wisdom come from? Is it from his thoughts OR education OR intelligence?"    8
Best User Comments
Angela - US (How) Can I improve my EI? "Can we improve our Emotional Intelligence? How can I learn to be more emotional intelligent, and how can I unlearn ineffective habits I may have?"    34
Dr.Hemjith - India Emotions and Motivation "Emotions are the motivating force in our lives depending on the direction we take. Motivations can be productive, empowering and creative - or they can be addictive, negative and abusive."    20
Huib - Netherlands Emotional Intelligence and Age "Does Emotional Intelligence increase or decrease when we grow older? Or is age irrelevant?"    16
 - NL Cross-cultural validity "To what extent is the Emotional Intelligence model valid cross-culturally? It appears EI derived out of Western thinking. I am looking for recent papers or articles about this."    11
Mike - India Emotional Intelligence not Opposite of Intelligence "As indicated in the main text, it is very important to understand that emotional intelligence is NOT the opposite of intelligence, it is not the triumph of heart over head -- it is the unique intersection of both."    5
 - India Emotional Intelligence is Important "Every human being should possess Emotional Intelligence as it's desirable in any inter-personal dealing, be it in personal / family life or in professional life. Because no two human beings are the same (in terms of behavior, character, or response), understanding the context and situation and adjusting yourself accordingly is very important to win over others and create acceptance."    5
Paulo Caius - Spain EI and P&L "EI lead us to understand the path for the right knowledge design we need to affect P&L positively. EI is an intangible asset or an intangible liability impossible to measure in common results presentation. If you have no fear for the truth inside of an organization, if you face problems with no doubts in how to solve them, if you fight against tricks and clicks, your people will be motivated, learning with their mistakes, without punishment but as a self learning process. In this case, step by step we will incorporate intangible assets on people's behaviour into our tangible P&L account."    4
 - Nigeria Emotional Intelligence = Maturity? "Would Emotional intelligence not be the same as maturity. Ordinarily, maturity comes with age, but sometimes you find a young person who behaves or handles situations with more maturity than his chronological age. This I believe may be due to his interaction with people and his environment. In my opinion, anyone with basic intelligence can handle his emotions depending on his level of maturity."    2
Karen - UK Best Compliment: EQ "I had a wonderful compliment the other day. On meeting a man and him taking me out on our first date. It was the best compliment he could have given me. He said I had a high EQ! I was thrilled! Better than your beautiful and funny, which I was also complimented on.. happy days..."    2
Dr.Hemjith - India Emotions and Reason "An emotion is an automatic response, an automatic effect of our value premises - therefore it is an effect not a cause. There is no necessary clash or dichotomy between man's reason and his emotions, provided he observes their proper relationship."    2
Sameer Babu M - India Emotional Maturity "A good man is of high emotional maturity and is not having a doubt."    -2
Sameer Babu M - India Social Inteligence "Social Inteligence is the primus inter pares among the needed qualities of those who have high emotional intelligence. "    -7
Comment on this Page

Emotional Intelligence Education & Events


 

Compare with Emotional Intelligence: Cultural Intelligence  |  Whole Brain Model  |  Johari Window  |  Attribution Theory  |  Leadership Styles  |  Framing  |  ERG Theory  |  Path-Goal Theory  |  4 Dimensions of Relational Work  |  Competing Values Framework  |  Hierarchy of Needs  |  Six Change Approaches  |  Seven Habits  |  PAEI  |  Action Learning  |  Team Management Profile

 

Return to Management Hub: Communication & Skills  |  Ethics & Responsibility  |  Human Resources  |  Leadership

 

More Management Methods, Models and Theory

12manage for:

 

 
Copyright 2009 12manage - The Executive Fast Track. V10.4 - Last updated: 11/7/2009. All names tm by their owners.





  ● Niresh (Sri Lanka) Wisdom "Wisdom comes from experience - ie. making mistakes and is part of the learning process. Smart people sometimes get into the habit of thinking they know everything and hence the ability to learn is limited. People who think a lot about things that happen to them and learn how to analyse and learn from them develop this wisdom. I also feel that age has something to do with it. Dr. Scott Peck describe the levels of psychological maturity. Some people remain at the same level and don't progress."
  ● Chris Tadda (USA) Emotional Intelligence / Origin of Wisdom Comment "I have long suspected that what we perceive as a wise person is really someone who can flex their style to match another person's (the receiver), then convey their life lessons in the receiver's own interpersonal language. I first started thinking about wisdom like that when studying Myers-Briggs Type Indicator types. In one sense of the word, those types are interpersonal languages that people speak. Those who can flex between languages and adapt our own seem wise to us because we see them doing the same with others who are not our type and with whom we may struggle communicating with. Perhaps that is what appears as wisdom."

  ● Alvin Stacey (US) Improve Emotional Intelligence "Good question. Sure you can, though it's not easy. And of course the answer depends on which of the 22 attributes you'd like to change...
Goleman says in general, first you need to understand what attribute or domain you'd like to change in what way. The next step is you practice, play or experiment with what you learned. You've got to do this repeatedly for it to be more effective and some support or coaching will be helpful."
  ● Douglas Hamilton (Scotland) Improve EI "Re Angela's comments - the Goleman texts are a good theoretical introduction. In my experience, he comes in for fire on two fronts. Some of the psych community sneer at the quality of his research, and I have also found that in trying to introduce EI principles to clients, they normally struggle to 'get' what is being said in any of the Goleman books.
In the final reckoning, it's the application which counts. The question then arises; 'for what purpose do you want to become adept in EI?' and once this is addressed, one can start looking at EI adept behaviour as the easiest path to fluency. From a practical application view, I recommend clients to start thinking 'before I carry out a particular behaviour, what will be the result of that behaviour on those around me?' This helps to develop better impact assessment, and therefore forms the steps to EI fluency.
As a practical application, I recommend 'Winning Behaviour' by Terry Bacon and David Pugh as a very readable and valuable text."
  ● Chris Newham (USA) Improving EI "I accepted Goleman’s concept of emotional intelligence but found no useful practices to adopt. Alternatively, Dr. David Hawkins’ work provides a way to practically experience emotional intelligence. His “Map of Consciousness” identifies sixteen emotions ranging from the humiliation to the bliss and he describes how each arises from adopting a specific "positionality" or perspective. Goleman and Hawkins comprehend similar brain physiologies but Hawkins' identifies a pivotal boundary between negative and positive emotions at the transition between gain-seeking and altruistic behaviors. With this reference, I find I can be more conscious of my emotions and in my responses. Childhood conditioning and a lifetime of misunderstanding still make unlearning the old practices quite a challenge but at least I now have a path to follow! Hawkins’ writings (I find, "Transcending the Levels of Consciousness" to be his most practical) are well complemented by his very lighthearted lecture videos. "
  ● Gruizll (Spain) EI Forum "Most demanding in this issue is to find a partner coach, either a professional one or a friends-family resource. Get involved on an issue which really puzzles you, becoming a not well adapted person to that circumstance. Within the "game" you must avoid the first answer and look for another one, less emotional. Repetition is the key to success."
  ● Dr. K Sylvester (USA) Angelas EI question "I know of only two ways to understand the actual content of our brain. Talk with others wo are competent and able to provide feedback and write what we feel and think. I have never found a book or test that has been able to replace the benefits of friendly feedback and writing."
  ● Linda (USA) EI "What I learned from Goleman's work is that tears are to be witnessed, because the eyes are where we can all see them. In the same way, laughter is to be heard, not hidden away with shame. I believe we have to reclaim our emotional intelligence. I succeed when I can, most of the time, not fall in the grip of toxic shame (shame imposed by others). It is about knowing ourselves and owning the depth and breadth of our own emotions. Once we trully own and recognize ours, we can recognize that of others. Then, we are ready with responses that allow others to feel listened to."
  ● Gian Z. (NL) Here are some materials "ohr.gsfc.nasa.gov/DevGuide/Hq/Linkage/Goleman.pdf ohr.gsfc.nasa.gov/DevGuide/Hq/Linkage/Goleman05.pdf "
  ● Sharad (India) Answer for everyone's doubt "EI is about knowing yourself and controlling your mind and putting it to a state where it can be useful."
  ● Steven (USA) Improving and learning emotional intelligence "Emotional Intelligence is to a large extent determined by our Limbic System. The limbic system determines or supports a variety of functions including emotions, behavior, and long term memory.
Unlike our Neokortex (where our analytical capabilitiers are situated), the lymbic system learns by motivation, training, practice and feedback."
  ●  (USA) You Can Unlearn Ineffective Habits! "Hello, read the 7 habits of highly effective people by Stephen Covey. This book is one of my favorites and the ideas of "7 habits" are found on this website. This way--you will attain the emotional intelligence we all want! Enjoy!:-) Beatriz"


  ●  (India) EI and age "Age is irrelevant."
  ● Elaine (USA) EI and Age "Age is very relevant. Most of us learn with age (and experience)--more about ourselves as well as about others. We make observations about interpersonal behaviors and the impact they have, and use those observations to guide our future behaviors."
  ● Eddie (UK) EI and Age "Age is most certainly relevant. If you don't understand yourself you cannot understand others. Self understanding/awareness is achieved through experience accumulated as we age!"
  ● Akumar (India) Age matters, but up to a certain level and age "Age has its relevancy up to certain level. Afterwards, the likes and dislikes of the person affect the interpersonal skills. Attitude plays a pivotal role for EI. The degree of perception makes people more aware rather than their age. At a certain point of time, the age factor looses its importance in EI. The most important thing how we perceive the things, what is our way to look at all the happening around. Our interest towards correcting and amending the wrong one. At last but not least, what value system we have?"
  ● praveen anantharaman (india) EI "I would rather argue it is the age and the situation you are exposed to which gives a person chance to learn"

  ● VS Prasad (India) Cross Cultural Validity of EI model "The EI model is valid cross culturally. Particularly, emotions, rather than reasoning, guide actions and thinking in occidental civiilisations. Hence the relavance of EI in these societies."




  ● Vinay (India) Emotions are true Self "Emotions are true. Emotional maturity may be how we perceive the maturity of the soul in front of us? The soul undergoes infinite experiences and these experiences are within us. We sometimes see very young but very mature people. This maturity comes from their past experiences. Need not necessarily be experiences from the present body, but could also be from the previous one."
  ●  (India) EI "I agree the statement, but the invisible link between previous and present body is being controlled by our intellect or not?"
  ● Dan Te (Philippines) Emotional Intelligence = Maturity "Daniel Goleman, in his book, "Working with Emotional Intelligence", has described "being emotionally competent" as "being mature", although "maturity" is an old-fashioned term. But I think the term appropriately applies. As with the correlation of the maturity of the person with his chronological age, the telling factor is experience and how this experience is absorbed. So maturity does not necessarily come with age, but with how fast and how well that experience is absorbed and the self-invented theories derived from it is put into practice. It is a matter of awareness. And acting on it."

  ●  (Indonesia) Compliment and EI "Goleman said compliments are part of social awareness and can be learned. A compliment is such an easy way to motivate each other, supporting and optimizing the accomplishment."
  ●  (Thailand) Compliment "I hope for you he was serious but on the other hand it maybe was only a different trial to get into your pants"