Psychology Addict # 12 | Dealing with Emotions – Personality, Skill or Intelligence?

Intelligence is a subject that has instigated curiosity for millennia. In the Middle Ages, for example, ‘intelligence’ was the term adopted to differentiate the ‘dull’ students from the ‘bright’ ones. In a more in-depth analysis, Ancient Greek philosophers discussed whether this was an innate ability or the product of learning; as they recognised that abstract thinking differs from individual to individual. But, only with the emergence of psychology as a scientific discipline in the late nineteenth century intelligence began to be systematically studied and measured. Nowadays the most common way of doing this is through tests; such as the WAIS, that scores IQ levels.

In the late 80’s and early 90’s, however, it became evident that standard IQ tests did not predict, as many believed, an accomplished educational and or professional performance. Other factors such as self-control, tenacity as well as empathy seemed to play more of a role in the lives of individuals deemed to be successful. It was around this time when the ‘emotional intelligence’ term was first coined by Peter Salovey and Jonh D. Meyer - two American psychologists. It did not take long until the concepts that define ‘emotional intelligence’ began to be regarded as measurable; thereafter, tests to score EI soon were designed generating an immense lucrative business in the market of job recruitment.

‘Emotional intelligence’ tests evaluate aspects which are subdivided in four categories: Perceiving emotion, using/facilitating emotion, understanding emotion and managing emotion (MSCEIT test).

But, is managing emotions intelligence?

It has been widely agreed upon the fact that ‘emotional intelligence’ relates to the understudying and management not only of one’s own emotions, but those of other people too. What remains a question, nonetheless, is whether this is a capacity resulted from the individual’s personality, a skill that can be learnt or intelligence.

Psychologists have long debated that how someone perceives, controls and manages emotions is largely to do with having traits such as: imaginative, perceptive, outgoing and assertive; personality characteristics that make certain individuals behave and relate to those around them in a particular manner. Greater still is the body of professionals who regard ‘emotional intelligence’ as a skill, a belief that enables them to ‘teach’ how to manage emotion through self-help books, programs and retreats. Finally, the discussions that consider the management of emotions as intelligence disregard aspects like social skills, problem solving in groups, and identifying with others; therefore focusing exclusively on emotional competencies as seen on the MSCEIT test.

Conclusion

This is certainly a debate fated to continue for many years to come with no final conclusion. Conceptualising emotional intelligence as something that can be measured, like the IQ, may lead to a view that simplifies its significance of entailing a complex set of competencies which undoubtedly comprise an important part of human psychological functioning. Still, there is an invaluable lesson to be drawn from this exchange of views: the emphasis it gives to the importance of emotional and social aptitudes in schools, the workplace and life in general. Something we all shall put in practice here on Steemet! 😊

[Original content by Abigail Dantes – 2017]

Reference List:

Mayer, J. D., Salovey, P. And Caruso, D. R. (2002) Maeyer –Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT), Toronto, Ontario, Multi-Health Systems, Inc.

Richardson, K. (1998) The Origins of Human Potential: Evolution, Development and Psychology, London, Routledge.

Weschler, D. (1958) The Measurement and Appraisal of Adult Intelligence, 4th edn, Baltimore, MD, The Williams and Wilkins Company.

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