Emotional Intelligence and Social-Emotional Learni

Psychology Research, ISSN 2159-5542

September 2011, Vol. 1, No. 3, 182-185

Emotional Intelligence and Social-Emotional

Learning: An Overview

Anamitra Basu

Indian Institute of Technology, Bhubaneswar, India

Martial Mermillod

Clermont Université, Clermont-Ferrand, France

The term “EI (emotional intelligence)” was first used in 1990 by Salovey and Mayer. EI involves: (1) the ability to

perceive accurately, appraise and express emotion; (2) the ability to access and/or generate feelings when they

facilitate thought; (3) the ability to understand emotion and emotional knowledge; and (4) the ability to regulate

emotions to promote emotional and intellectual growth. Adequate interpersonal skills are an important component

of EI. Social skills include: interpersonal behaviors needed to make and keep friends, such as joining in and giving

compliments; peer-related social skills valued by classmates, such as sharing and working cooperatively;

teacher-pleasing social skills related to academic success, such as listening and following directions; self-related

behaviors, such as following through and dealing with stress; communication skills, such as attending to the

speaker; and assertiveness skills. IE may be as important as or even more important than cognitive intelligence.

Many learners, particularly those at risk of school failure, do not possess the social-emotional skills needed to be

emotionally intelligent. Social-emotional learning enables learners to effectively understand process, manage and

All Rights s the social and emotional aspects of their lives.

Keywords: EQ (emotional quotient), EI (emotional intelligence), competence questionnaire, EQI (emotional

quotient inventory), social emotional skills

Introduction

Salovey and Mayer (1990) identified five domains of EI (emotional intelligence), namely, self-awareness,

managing emotions, motivating oneself, empathy and handling relationships, which help to understand

emotional learning personally. There are the details of these five characteristics for having high EI:

(1) Self-awareness—knowing and recognizing one’s emotions;

(2) Mood management—managing one’s feelings to the present situation and reacting accordingly;

(3) Self-motivation—directing oneself towards a goal, despite of having self-doubt, inertia and

impulsiveness;

(4) Empathy—recognizing others’ feelings and turning them into their verbal and non-verbal cues;

(5) Managing relationships—managing interpersonal interaction and successful negotiations.

ESAP (Nelson and Low’s Emotional Skill Assessment Process) relates with the earlier concept. It is

highly personal and unique to each person. EI tests are designed to quantify EI. The result of the test is often

given as EQ (emotional quotient). The higher the EQ, the more competent the person is with self-understanding

Anamitra Basu, Ph.D., assistant professor, School of Humanities, Social Sciences and Management, Indian Institute of

Technology.

Martial Mermillod, Ph.D., professor, LAPSCO-UMR CNRS, Clermont Université.

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING

183and general social situations. A large publication of EQ tests is probably more needed than the actual large

publication of IQ (intelligence quotient) test. Three popular EQ tests are the MSCEIT (Mayer-Salovey-Caruso

EI test), the ECI (emotional competence inventory) and the EQI (emotional quotient inventory). The authors of

the MSCEIT originally developed the MEIS (multifactor EI scale), while some other authors developed the

COMET/EQ (competence/ emotional quotient) questionnaire, the EQ-map.

The relation between EQ and personality tests is also envisaged. These analyze a person’s personality with

a broader scope, e.g., the E-PQR (eysenck personality questionnaire revised) used intro- or extro- version,

neurotic, psychotic and truthfulness.

EI has a long impact and it is becoming indispensible for many parents and educators who are alarmed by

increasing levels of conflict in young schoolchildren. Nevertheless, EI has been included in training programs

of corporate employees for better motivation which will automatically increase productivity and profits.

Intrapersonal skills and interpersonal skills are essential for self-esteem. Relationship skills are essential

measure of emotional control and management. Three major ingredients of relationship skills are assertion,

anger control and management in addition with fear control and management. Drive strength, time management,

commitment ethic and positive personal change are the major four essential emotional skills for

self-management. Transformative learning is essential for understanding the emotional mind. The synergy of

emotive and cognitive mind gives rise to emotionally intelligent behavior.

Measures of EI

Maximal performance mainly is the ability based on measure and mixed-model measures, emphasizing on

typical performance (Mayer, Salovey, & Caruso, 2000; Petrides & Furnham, 2000). Maximal performance

All Rights tes the best cognitive performance that a test-taker can achieve in a test, while typical performance is a

measure of a test-taker’s performance under ordinary test conditions.

The EI appraisal measures:

(1) Personal competence, including: (a) Self-awareness: Recognizing and understanding one’s emotions in

the moment as well as the tendencies across time and situation; and (b) Self-management: Using awareness of

emotions to manage response to different situations and people;

(2) Social competence, including: (a) Social awareness: Understanding the perspectives of other people

including their motivations, their emotions and the meaning of what they do and say; and (b) Relationship

management: Using awareness of one’s own emotions and the emotions of others to manage relationships to a

successful outcome.

Face validity is an estimate to measure whether a test purports to measure a certain criterion. When a test

is subject to faking, low face validity may make the test more valid. The MSCEIT measure is a measure of EI,

which involves a series of emotion-based problem-solving items with low face-validity (MacCann, Roberts,

Matthews, & Zeidner, 2004; Roberts, Zeidner, & Matthews, 2001). The various domains in which MSCEIT is

applicable are: (1) experiential area, including perceiving emotions and facilitating thinking; and (2) strategic

area, including understanding emotional meaning and managing emotions. EI helps to perceive the emotion,

facilitate thinking process, comprehend meaning of emotion and manage emotions skillfully.

Response set is responding in a desirable way. This can be situational and temporary. On the contrary,

response style is a more long-term trait-like quality. Considering the context’s certain self-report EI inventories

are used (e.g., in employment settings), the problems of response sets in high-stakes scenarios become clear. If

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EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING

we consider inherent similarities, it may be reasonable to assert that socially desirable responding has the

capacity to contaminate responses on self-report EI measures.

Positive behaviors include positive self-esteem, meaningful goal achievement, dependability, effective

communication, constructive thinking, emotional self-control, problem-solving skills and healthy stress

management skills involving higher psychological processes and the integration of cognitive and emotional

minds. Effective education involving the development of personal responsibility skill and proper education

experience encompasses specific learning experiences to help students develop the EI skills essential to

academic achievement, personal well-being and career/life effectiveness. This broader definition of education

emphasizes on the “right mind”. But, we should value both minds and integrate emotional mind with cognitive

mind. Higher psychological processes balance two minds.

The key feature of developing EI is to educate two minds with a focus on how the cognitive and emotional

mind work. Emotionally intelligent behavior is reflected in the ability to think constructively and behave wisely.

Intentional and self-directed behavior needs reflective thoughts. Wise and effective behavior requires the ability

to regulate and express emotions in healthy ways. EI skills harmonize the cognitive and emotional minds and

are essential to effective behavior.

The area of affective neuroscience embarks upon the relationship of EI to academic achievement and

personal well-being. The development of the brain during the period from early adolescence to young adulthood is

very important for physical and emotional growth. The learning experiences given during this critical

developmental period can positively influence the development of academic, career and life effectiveness skills.

Nelson and Low (2003) defined EI as a confluence of developed skills and abilities to: (1) accurately

know oneself in terms of personal strengths and weaknesses; (2) establish and maintain effective and healthy

All Rights onships; (3) get along and work productively with others; and (4) deal effectively and healthily with the

demands and pressures of daily living. The ESAP is the research based on assessment model. It is used to help

students to identify and understand important EI skills.

Four distinct factors provided by the ESAP responsible for EI are: (1) interpersonal skills; (2) leadership

skills; (3) self-management skills; and (4) intrapersonal skills. The specific EI skills that contribute to these

factors are: (1) assertion; (2) social awareness; (3) empathy; (4) decision-making; (5) positive influence

(leadership); (6) drive strength (goal setting); (7) commitment ethic (personal responsibility); (8) time

management; (9) self-esteem; and (10) stress management. Interpersonal skills and intrapersonal skills depend

upon social awareness, empathy, self-esteem and stress management. Leadership skills and self-management

skills depend upon decision-making, empathy, positive influence, drive strength, commitment ethic, time

management and stress management. Nelson and Low (2003) have related research establishing the relationship

of EI skills to academic achievement (Nelson & Low, 2003; Vela, 2002; D. Nelson & K. Nelson, 2003;

Stottlemyer, 2002). The ESAP scales of assertion, drive strength, commitment ethic, time management and

stress management have proved to be significant predictors of academic success. Meaningful emotional

learning is essential to understand the different functions and processes of the cognitive and emotional minds.

One of the major principles of EI is personal leadership. Educational model of EI emphasizes comfort, empathy

and decision-making and leadership are essential emotional skills and ingredients of personal leadership.

Epstein has demonstrated functions and processes associated with both the cognitive and emotional

(experiential) mind. Epstein (1998) further emphasized that the emotional mind: (1) learns directly from

experience; (2) thinks quickly for immediate action; (3) is holistic; (4) thinks in terms of associations; (5) is

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING

185closely connected to emotions; (6) interprets experience and guides conscious thoughts and behaviors through

“vibes” from past experiences; (7) sees the world in concrete images, metaphors and stories; (8) is experienced

passively as if we are sized by our emotions; (9) experiences its beliefs as self-evidently valid (experiencing is

believing); (10) pays attention only to outcome; (11) thinks in terms of broad categories; (12) operates in different

modes corresponding to specific emotional states; and (13) changes slowly with repetitive or intense experience.

Epstein (1998) has also opined that the cognitive mind: (1) learns from abstract representations; (2) thinks

slowly and deliberately and is oriented towards planning and consideration; (3) is analytic; (4) thinks in terms

of causes and effects; (5) separates logic from emotions; (6) interprets experience through conscious appraisal

of events; (7) sees the world in abstract symbols (words and numbers); (8) experiences actively and consciously

(as if we are in control of our thoughts); (9) requires justification by logic and evidence (give me proof); (10)

pays attention also to process; (11) thinks in terms of finer distinctions and gradations; (12) highly integrated

and more internally consistent; and (13) changes rapidly.

Conclusions

Integrity of the emotional mind and the cognitive mind is essential for effective behavior. Negligence of

one over the other leads to behavior that is incomplete. EI skills are higher psychological processes which balance

the two minds for the achievement of academic success, career and work effectiveness and personal well-being.

Emotional illiteracy is reflected in failed marriages, troubled families and social lives. It deteriorates

physical health and has its effect in the form of tragedies. The essential skill of EI has to be taught as

indispensible similar to traditional measures like IQ.

Intrapersonal growth and development is incomplete without having high EI.

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