Components of emotional intelligence
Component Description Example
Empathy When we show compassion and empathy we demonstrate the ability to understand motiva- tions and feelings of others. This facilitates emotional connections and drives intimate relationships.
Limiting distractions when providing attention to someone who needs sup- port; communicating at a later time to follow up.
Motivation A commitment to goals and self-improvement. Demonstrating motivation includes showing initiative and completing tasks.
Following through on plans to prepare for an exam, even though friends have pressured you to socialize instead.
Self-aware- ness
A part of relationship-building is understand- ing how our behavior affects the reactions of others. We need to understand our own strengths, weaknesses, moods, and impulses in order to create adaptive emotional reactions.
Hesitating and rethinking before sending an inflammatory electronic message
Self-regulation Controlling impulses and regulating moods in potentially emotional situations. Self- regulation leads to intrapersonal growth through self-discipline, and interpersonal growth by promoting goodwill.
Using “I statements” (e.g., “I am disap- pointed”) rather than making accusa- tions (“You lied!”) or yelling as a first response.
Social skills The ability to identify social cues and to respond appropriately in social situations. It includes promoting common interests and building rapport.
Researching a company’s interests and activities before sitting for an interview.
Source: Adapted from Boyatzis et al., (2000).
There is a clear link between emotional intelligence and what Gardner calls interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligence. These emotional intelligences are what enable a person to use emotional information to help navigate the social environment either in the family, at work, or in leisure activities. People can be academically smart and be able to solve well-defined problems in school, but they may not be able to use their reasoning ability in the workplace to resolve conflicts, collaborate with others, or adapt to change (Van der Zee, Thijs, & Schakel, 2002). Understanding that we need to behave differently depending on the context demon- strates relatively higher EQ than not paying attention to (or understanding) circumstances.
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Section 9.6 Other Types of Intelligence
In some situations, people who have high EQ are more likely to be successful than people who have high IQ (Goleman, 2005). In today’s world, interacting with others is increasingly impor- tant in the work environment because many organizations rely on teamwork and collaboration
(Druskat & Wolff, 2001). A study that exam- ined the emotional intelligence of senior managers found that those with high emo- tional intelligence were more satisfied with their jobs, more committed to the success of the organization, and better able to manage work and family stress (Carmeli, 2003).
There is evidence that emotional intelligence increases with age. When older adults are asked to identify different emotions by looking at pictures in a laboratory setting, they performed more poorly than younger adults. In contrast, the opposite occurs in a natural setting. When older adults identify different emotions in familiar social situations, they are better able to recognize and appraise emotions than their younger counterparts. This may be because older adults have more experience dealing with emotions in a dynamic context (Sze, Goodkind, Gyurak, & Levenson, 2012). In late life, adults adopt different perspectives and goals that focus more on interpersonal relationships, thus increasing their ability to deal with a range of emotions (Seider, Hirschberger, Nelson, & Levenson, 2009). This ability is part of successful aging, a topic that will be explored in Chapter 16.
Creativity Although Sternberg recognized creativity as part of intelligence in his three-part model, other theorists highlight creativity as a unique form of intelligence that can increase across the lifespan. Albert Einstein is said to have remarked, “Creativity is intelligence having fun.” There is actually some truth to the ste- reotype of the “creative genius” because a higher level of creativity is associated with increased intel- ligence. Many scholars believe that creativity is dif- ferent from intelligence, but like intelligence, cre- ativity is hard to define. Why are works by famous painter Jackson Pollack considered so much more creative and valuable than similar works made by schoolchildren? Computers can easily generate images like those painted by Piet Mondrian, whose paintings include intersecting straight lines filled in with primary colors, yet collectors are not inter- ested in that kind of “creativity.”
We know that some kinds of creativity, like writing, do not peak until middle adulthood. Creativity and practical intelligence often combine to produce experts in their fields, whether that is repairing cars, farming, composing, or designing aircraft. (According to Sternberg, though, experts have a difficult time making lasting contributions unless they also excel at communicating their ideas.) Creative experts have a lot of experience with various types of problems that often
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Artists such as Piet Mondrian and Jackson Pollock can be referred to as “creative geniuses.”
Critical Thinking
How does self-reflection and self-regulation relate to a person’s emotional intelligence?
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