Emotional intelligence is the ability to perceive, understand and regulate your own emotions and those of others. Salovey and Mayer proposed the term in 1990, and Daniel Goleman popularised it in 1995.
Two main models
The ability model treats it as an intelligence and measures it with problems that have better and worse answers, as in the MSCEIT. The trait model sees it as part of personality and measures it with questionnaires about how you usually behave.
Common components
- Perceiving emotions in yourself and others.
- Using emotions to think and decide.
- Understanding where emotions come from and how they change.
- Regulating your own emotions and helping others regulate theirs.
How Animi measures it
Our emotional intelligence test uses seven public-domain scales by Barchard: attending to emotions, emotion-based decisions, positive and negative expressivity, responsive joy, responsive distress and empathic concern.
Can it be improved?
Partly. Naming feelings precisely, pausing before reacting and asking others how they are can all be practised.
Where the idea comes from
Psychologists Peter Salovey and John Mayer defined emotional intelligence in 1990 as the ability to perceive, understand and manage your own and other people’s emotions. Daniel Goleman’s 1995 book made it a household term.
Does it matter at work?
Research finds a moderate link between emotional intelligence and job performance, clearer in roles with a lot of contact with people. Part of that link is explained by personality and IQ, so it is not a magic skill, but it is a real advantage in teams, sales, care and leadership.
How to improve it
- Name what you feel: telling frustration from tiredness or fear helps you manage it.
- Pause before reacting in tense moments.
- Ask and listen before assuming what someone feels.
- Ask for feedback on how others see you.
See where you are strongest with the emotional intelligence test.
Frequently asked questions
Who came up with emotional intelligence?
Peter Salovey and John Mayer defined it in 1990; Daniel Goleman popularised it in 1995.
Is EQ more important than IQ?
There is no evidence that it is in general. IQ predicts academic performance better; emotional intelligence helps in relationships and people-facing work.
Sources
- Salovey, P. & Mayer, J. D. (1990). Emotional intelligence. Imagination, Cognition and Personality, 9(3), 185–211.
- Goleman, D. (1995). Emotional Intelligence. Bantam Books.
- Joseph, D. L. & Newman, D. A. (2010). Emotional intelligence: An integrative meta-analysis and cascading model. Journal of Applied Psychology, 95(1), 54–78.