PSY 301
November 5, 2012
Theresa Neal, Ph.D
Emotional Intelligence
The purpose of this paper is to describe the differences between traditional cognitive intelligence and emotional intelligence. It will also address the use of emotional intelligence concepts in the work life, home life, and personal life. There are many possible definitions of emotional intelligence. In accordance with an article titled “Theory, Findings, and Implications” written by Mayer, Salovey, and Caurso in 2004, described emotional intelligence as, “the capacity to reason about emotions, and of emotions to enhance thinking. It includes the abilities to accurately 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.” Cognitive Intelligence is the intellectual abilities such as logic, reason, reading, writing, analyzing and prioritizing. These abilities are abilities that is in your head which uses the neocortez, not the emotional part of your brain.
Emotional Intelligence is expanded into five main domains which expands it definition for a clearer understanding. The first is knowing one’s emotion, which describes self-awareness of recognizing a feeling as it happens. It is the keystone of emotional intelligence. Having the abilities to monitor your feelings from one minute to the next is crucial to your psychological insights of understanding yourself. The second is managing your emotions, which is self management. This means handing feelings so they are appropriate in an ability that builds on your self-awareness. The third is motivating yourself, which is control yourself in the face of adversity and continue toward attaining your personal goals. The fourth is recognizing emotions in other people around you. Showing empathy for others makes people appreciate that their feelings are