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Emotional intelligence (EI) is one of the most widely discussed topics in current psychology. Although first mentioned in the professional literature nearly two decades ago, in the past five years it has received extensive media attention. The term "emotional intelligence" refers to the ability to identify, express, and understand emotions; to assimilate emotions into thought; and to regulate both positive and negative emotions in oneself and others. Yet despite the flourishing research programs and broad popular interest, scientific evidence for a clearly identified construct of EI is sparse. It remains to be seen whether there is anything to EI that researchers in the fields of personality, intelligence, and applied psychology do not already know.This book offers a comprehensive critical review of EI. It examines current thinking on the nature, components, determinants, and consequences of EI, and evaluates the state of the art in EI theory, research, assessment, and applications. It highlights the extent to which empirical evidence supports EI as a valid construct and debunks some of the more extravagant claims that appear in the popular media. Finally, it examines the potential use of EI to guide practical interventions in various clinical, occupational, and educational settings.
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Emotional Intelligence This Page Intentionally Left Blank Emotional Intelligence Science and Myth Gerald Matthews, Moshe Zeidner, and Richard D. Roberts A Bradford Book The MIT Press Cambridge, Massachusetts London, England ( 2002 Massachusetts Institute of Technology All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form by any electronic or mechanical means (including photocopying, recording, and information storage and retrieval) without permission in writing from the publisher. This book was set in New Baskerville on 3B2 by Asco Typesetters, Hong Kong, and was printed and bound in the United States of America. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Matthews, Gerald. Emotional intelligence : science and myth / Gerald Matthews, Moshe Zeidner, and Richard D. Roberts. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-262-13418-7 (alk. paper) 1. Emotional intelligence. I. Zeidner, Moshe. II. Roberts, Richard D. III. Title. BF576 .M28 2003 152.4—dc21 2002066034 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 This book is dedicated to Diana Ciupka, with love and appreciation of your understanding; Eti Zeidner, the very embodiment of emotional intelligence; Patricia Roberts; and Marie Benevides This Page Intentionally Left Blank Contents Foreword xi Robert J. Sternberg Preface xv I Conceptualizations and Measurement 1 1 Introduction 3 Historical and Sociocultural Context of Emotional Intelligence Conceptions of Emotional Intelligence 9 A Research Agenda for Emotional Intelligence 21 Chapter Synthesis and Preview 28 3 2 Toward a Science of Emotional Intelligence 31 Toward a Psychometrics of Emotional Intelligence 32 Toward a Theory of Emotional Intelligence 47 Integrating Theory and Psychometrics: Differential Psychology and Emotional Intelligence 57 Emotional Intelligence in the Real World: Practical Applications 74 Conclusion: Toward a Science of EI 79 3 Understanding the Intelligence Component of Emotional Intelligence Why Mess with Intelligence? 81 The History of Intelligence 83 81 viii Contents The Concept of Intelligence 86 Structural Theories of Intelligence 91 System Models of Intelligence 115 Conclusions 129 4 Emotions: Concepts and Research 133 Conceptualizing Emotion 134 Categories and Dimen