EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

Emotion

The word ‘emotion’ is derived from the Latin word ‘emovere’ means, to move or to be put in motion. The word ‘Emotion’ is used in psychology to describe a state of excitement in the organism.

            The emotion represents affective feeling tone. It is characterized by minor adjustment, conditioned by the functioning of the autonomic nervous system and aroused by the interaction between an external stimulus situation and the minor mental status (Crow and Crow 1961).

Intelligence

o   Intelligence is an aggregate or global capacity of the individual to act purposefully, to think rationally and to deal effectively with his environment - Wechsler.

o   Intelligence means to apply one’s knowledge to noble situation or adjustment to noble situations - Alferd Binet.

o   Intelligence is considered as a mental trait. It is the capacity to make impulses focal at their unfinished stage of formation - L.L. Thurstone.

o   Intelligence is the ability to undertake activities that are characterized (1) difficulty (2) complexity (3) social value and (4) emergence of originals to maintain such activities under conditions that demand concentration of energy and resistance to emotional force - G.D. Stoddard.

o   Intelligence is a set of cognitive abilities which allow us to acquire knowledge, to learn and to solve problems.

Emotional Intelligence

There is an intelligence based on emotion, and people who have this capacity are less depressed, healthier, more employable, and have better relationships.

Emotional Intelligence means being intelligent about emotions and being smart. It is the ability to acquire and apply knowledge from one’s emotions and the emotion of other in order to be successful and to lead a fulfilling life.

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.

            The distinction between intelligence and knowledge in the area of cognitions (i.e. IQ) is very clear, where generally, psychological research demonstrates that IQ is a reliable measure of cognitive capacity, and is stable over time. In the area of emotion (i.e. EQ) that distinction between intelligence and knowledge is not clear. Bradberry and Greaves say that, EQ is dynamic; it can be learned or increased; whereas Mayer says that EQ is stable and cannot be increased.

            According to J.Neil, ‘Both types of intelligence are important, but they are important in different ways. IQ contributes, at best, about 20 percent to the factors that determine life success. That leaves 80 percent to everything else. There are many ways in which your destiny in life depends on having the skills that make up emotional intelligence.’

EI is not the opposite of intelligence. It is a unique combination of both head and heart. It combines affect with cognition, emotion with intelligence. EI is the ability to use one’s emotions to help solve problems and live an effective life.

Dimensions of Emotional Intelligence

            There are five domains of emotional intelligence.

1. Self-awareness

            It is knowing of one’s feelings. It is a deep understanding of one’s emotions, in terms of how feelings affect oneself, other people, and their job performance.

2. Self-regulation

            It is managing one’s feelings, especially the distressing ones. Self-regulation is that component of EI that free us from being prisoners of our feelings. It is the conscious choice of emotional responses to people and events.

3. Motivation

            Motivation is attributed to those people who are passionate about their work or any kind of endeavour. They are usually not driven by external rewards, but rather by a desire to achieve. They never give up. These motivated people are likely to be successful in achieving their goals.

4. Empathy

            Empathy is recognizing emotion in others. It means consciously being aware of the other person’s feelings, along with mediating factors, in the process of making decisions.

5. Social Skills

            Social skills support popularity, leadership and interpersonal effectiveness. Those who excel in social skills will do well at anything that relies on interacting smoothly with others.        

Importance of Emotional Intelligence

·         EI is the capacity for recognizing one’s own feelings and those of others.

·         It motivates oneself and manages emotions well in oneself and in one’s relationship with others.

·         EQ is a special capacity, which determines how well we are able to make use of the other skills that we posses, besides IQ.

·         People with good emotional capacity know their feelings well and are in control of them. They can read other people’s feelings and deal with them effectively.

·         People with this type of intelligence have a defined thinking process, which in turn promotes creativity and productivity.    

·         It activates his innermost values and aspirations and transforms him from things he thinks about to what he lives.

           

Developing Emotional Intelligence skills

            EI is a range of personal skills that have much more to do with one’s success in life than one’s intellectual skills. They are soft skills but with hard outcomes. In order to raise one’s EQ:

o   Develop optimism and ability to persist in the face of frustration.

o   Have faith in oneself i.e. self-confidence.

o   Take responsibility for one’s emotions and happiness.

o   Examine one’s own feeling rather than the actions and / or motives of other people.

o   Develop constructive coping skills for specific moods. Learn to relax when one’s emotions are running high and to get up and move when one is feeling low.

o   Look for the humour or life lesson in a negative situation.

o   Be honest with oneself.

o   Show respect by respecting other people’s feelings.