What is emotional intelligence?
Emotional intelligence (EI), often called EQ, is the ability to recognize emotions in yourself and others, understand what they mean, and use and manage them to guide thinking and behavior. Psychologists Peter Salovey and John Mayer gave the first formal academic definition in a 1990 paper. Journalist Daniel Goleman’s 1995 book *Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ* turned the idea into a bestseller and a staple of corporate training.
- Meaning
- Ability to perceive, understand, use and manage emotions
- Defined by
- Salovey & Mayer (1990)
- Popularized by
- Goleman (1995)
- Common tests
- MSCEIT (ability test), various self-report scales
The four-branch ability model
Mayer and Salovey break emotional intelligence into four related abilities:
- Perceiving emotions: accurately reading emotions in faces, voices and body language, including your own.
- Using emotions: harnessing moods to support thinking. An upbeat mood can help brainstorming; a calmer one can help careful checking.
- Understanding emotions: knowing how emotions arise and change, such as how irritation can build into anger.
- Managing emotions: regulating your own and others’ feelings in ways that fit the situation.
Ability models vs. mixed models
| Aspect | Ability model | Mixed model |
|---|---|---|
| Key figures | Mayer and Salovey | Goleman and others |
| View | An intelligence for processing emotional information | Also includes personality traits and competencies |
| Measurement | Tests with right and wrong answers (MSCEIT) | Self-report questionnaires, 360-degree ratings |
| Trade-off | Narrow but clearly defined | Broad, but overlaps with personality tests |
Goleman’s framework, with self-awareness, self-management, social awareness and relationship management, is widely used in leadership development.
EI at school and work
Is EQ really more important than IQ? Many studies link emotional intelligence to better relationships, coping with stress and performance in emotionally demanding jobs. But once researchers account for general intelligence and personality, the extra variance EI explains is often modest, so claims such as "EQ accounts for 80% of success" are widely regarded as overstated.
In schools, social-emotional learning (SEL) programs teach emotion recognition, self-regulation and relationship skills. In workplaces, EI concepts show up in leadership and customer-service training. Managing emotions also connects closely to resilience and stress and coping.
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Criticisms and limits
- Competing definitions. Different models measure different things under the same label.
- Self-report bias. Saying "I handle emotions well" is not the same as actually doing so.
- A double-edged skill. Researchers note that being good at reading emotions can also be used to manipulate.
Frequently asked questions
- What is emotional intelligence?
- It is the ability to perceive, understand, use and manage emotions in yourself and others.
- What are the four branches of emotional intelligence?
- Perceiving emotions, using emotions to facilitate thought, understanding emotions, and managing emotions.
- Can emotional intelligence be improved?
- Studies suggest that some EI skills can improve with practice, such as building an emotion vocabulary, noticing and labeling feelings, and social-emotional learning programs.
References
- Salovey, P., & Mayer, J. D. (1990). Emotional intelligence. Imagination, Cognition and Personality, 9(3), 185–211. https://doi.org/10.2190/DUGG-P24E-52WK-6CDG
- Goleman, D. (1995). Emotional intelligence: Why it can matter more than IQ. Bantam Books.