7 Promising Claims that Challenge the Veracity of Emotional Intelligence
Geoffrey Reynolds
Updated
Emotional intelligence started as burgeoning unknown psychological construct outside the annals of academia to holding a place in the culture’s zeitgeist. Emotional intelligence became popular because of Daniel Goleman’s 1995bestseller. Educators, policymakers, and other leaders assert that emotional intelligence is the panacea to a wide range of social ills. Believing those are teaching children to manage their emotions will reduce bullying and related issues and promote more cooperation. Further, cultivating adults’ emotional intelligence will bring about more caring workplaces and greater compassion among healthcare workers. Now, emotional intelligence istaughtwidely in a broad range of schools from secondary education up to medical programs.
Which person is the victim? Are you certain?
Emotional Intelligence as a New Intelligence
For this article, the term emotional intelligence refers to a generic competence in perceiving emotions in oneself as well as in others (Zeidner, Matthews, & Roberts, 2009, p. 4). It is critically important to remember that EI is understood to be another kind of intelligence. Therefore, individuals will differ in their ability to interpret and use emotions in some objectively measurable manner. The idea of emotion fused with intelligence seems reasonable if we suppose that most people we would encounter daily would have average EI. However, encountering an EI genius would be rare, and it is possible that such heightened emotional sensitivity might elude our ability to perceive them.
General Intelligence
In psychology, general intelligence describes academic and intellectual abilities for problem-solving, abstract reasoning, and analysis. IQ tests are poor predictors of how the individual will perform during the first year of university and job success. The fundamental assumption is a unitary general intelligence where people can differ in the aptitude for certain types of thinking—for example, mathematical reasoning or verbal—there remains an encompassing cognitive ability contributing to all intelligent behaviors. This scientific model has undergone rigorous theory, application, and measurement. EI has not successfully surmounted this among other hurdles.
Emotional Intelligence Claims
Claim: In his 1995 book, Goleman writes, “there is an old-fashioned word for the body of skills that EI represents: character.” In 2000,Carrreacted saying, not so clearly distinguishable from emotional intelligence, one’s emotional cleverness or cunning—has periodically been used by political demagogues to further their ends via the mass manipulation—even destruction—of others.” Therefore, EI is not an end it. Ultimately, any value that EI does hold remains crucially dependent on the individual’s moral objectives.
Claim: EI positively influences followers’ perceptions of leaders, and that high EI strengthens the effectiveness of transformational leaders. However, in a 2002 clinical trial, Wong and Lawreported that no relationship between the EI of leaders and the job performance of their followers.
A team of leaders.
Claim: EI enhances and builds transformational leadership skills and capabilities. This claim calls into question the ethics of those who might be viewed as providing tools of manipulation to organizational leaders. Individuals who are interested and intelligent will have the highest probability of being identified asleadership material.
Claim: Goleman’s definition of EI includes moral character, self-control, and optimism along with other qualities that he labels emotional competencies. He defines emotional skills as learned capabilities based on emotional intelligence that culminates in an outstanding performance at work and other areas of life. Goleman’s circular definition of emotional competence regarding EI underscores that EI is dependent on learning. In contrast, psychological theories on intelligence define one’s mental ability as that person’s aptitude. The term aptitude means a preexisting capacity to acquire specific mental skills through learning. For that reason, IQ test scores are believed to be indicators of someone’s potential for acquiring academic knowledge, not knowledge itself (Jensen, 1998). Qualities are traditionally understood to be reflecting components of one’s personality. Qualities cannot also be abilities.
Claim: Goleman asserts that emotional intelligence can be learned and increased at any time during a person’s life. In contrast, cognitive intelligence is understood to be relatively stable over time.
This gentleman clearly is an EI genius.
Claim: According to Goleman, Emotional Quotient (a parallel for IQ) is more important than IQ if one wants to enjoy a successful life. Some indicators of success include work promotions and maintaining secure and fruitful relationship, IQ is much overrated. Alternately, telling workers their EI score will profound repercussions. As with one’s IQ score, one’s EI score will affect her or his sense of value and identityand make individuals’ visible. Additionally, there is the potential threat of politicization, rendered commodities, and exploitation.
Claim: In his 1995a book, Goleman links EI to a person’s moral character when he writes, that emotional literacy goes with education for character, education for moral development, and for citizenship. The conventional view of intelligence describes a set of skills and capabilities that are equally used by evildoers and philanthropists.
As stated earlier, Goleman’s argument is emotional intelligence. If it is intelligence, then it must undergo the same rigorous testing as general intelligence raising the most important question. Can Goleman’s emotional competencies instrument (ECI) be measured in a valid fashion and predict good performance? Following acrimonious contesting, the answer is that ECI cannot be measured in a valid way. Also, ECI is not able to foresee a person’s future performance. The reason explaining those results include A) that ECI scales are considered meaningless because they contain too much variation with highly broad criteria. ECI answers must be based on a panel of experts or by focus groups. B)ECI failedto measure the ability to express emotions appropriately. C) ECI failed capacity to recognize authentic or feigned emotions in others. D) ECI failed in its ability to make choices regarding how and when to respond to others’ emotions. E)ECI failedin its capacity to consider the effect of emotions on decision-making in one’s self or others. That means that EI is seen asunscientificand ineffective in practical terms.
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