Emotional Intelligence

About Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligence is the ability to perceive emotions, to access and generate emotions so as to assist thought, to understand emotions and emotional knowledge, and to reflectively regulate emotions so as to promote emotional and intellectual growth - Mayer & Salovey, 1997.

THERE ARE MANY DEFINITIONS OF EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE.

What is emotional intelligence? The answer depends upon who you ask. With the publication of the Goleman book in 1995, interest in this heretofore obscure field greatly increased. What we are seeing now is that the various approaches that were once called emotional intelligence are beginning to differentiate. Thus, you will see models and assessments and workshops using the following labels:

• Socio-Emotional Learning

• Emotional Competencies

• Competencies

• Soft Skills

• Emotionally Intelligent Behavior

It is important to note that the history of the field is still being written. Mayer and Salovey have cited previous publications that used the term emotional intelligence and they generally do not credit themselves with inventing the term. Nevertheless, their publications in the field have been extremely influential and have formed the basis for much of the academic research and thinking in the field.

The focus of this page and web site is on the ability model of emotional intelligence that was developed by Jack Mayer and Peter Salovey. Comparisons with other approaches are also made on this page.

THE ORIGINS OF THE ABILITY MODEL of EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

Two psychologists - John (Jack) Mayer, Ph.D. of the University of New Hampshire and Peter Salovey, Ph.D. of Yale University - published two academic papers on emotional intelligence in 1990.

Salovey and Mayer defined emotional intelligence as the: "Ability to monitor one's own and other's feelings and emotions, to discriminate among them and to use this information to guide one's thinking and actions." (1990).

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