Emotional Competency

Question 1

What is Emotional Competency?

Answer 1

Being aware of our own and others’ emotions, to recognize, understand and to manage our emotions. ‘Introspective skills’.

Positive and Negative Emotions
Levels of physiological arousal
Extremes of arousal
Stress emotions = negative and extreme high or low intensity

Question 2

‘Ability Models’. Intelligences/Skills.

Answer 2

Following from Thorndike’s (1920) ‘social intelligence’, Gardner’s (1983) ideas of ‘multiple intelligences’ – especially those of separate ‘interpersonal’ and ‘intrapersonal’ skills/intelligences, and Sternberg’s (1985) ‘practical intelligence’.

Question 3

2.1 Mayer and Salovey (1990)

Answer 3

Four components (branches) of EI relating to ability to:

i) perceive emotions, e.g. what does face indicate
ii) use emotions to facilitate thought, e.g. use of emotions to deal with different situations
iii) understand emotional meanings, e.g. which emotion would a person feel in particular situations
iv) manage emotions, e.g. how to maintain an emotional state

Essentially defines what is EI, the more sophisticated a person as they move through i) to iv), from experiential skills through to strategic skills.

Measured by MSCEIT (Mayer, Salovey and Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test):- pictures, tasks, imagery

Question 4

Goleman (1995)

Answer 4

In the world of work. For managers and for service staff (‘emotional labour’) with their need for ‘surface’ and/or ‘deep acting’.

‘Personal’ and ‘Social’ competencies to recognise and regulate emotions:-

i) self awareness: - ability to recognize one’s emotions and their effects
ii) self regulation/management ability:- of one’s emotional states
iii) social awareness:- ability to assess and influence others’ emotions
iv) social skills ability:- for good interpersonal relationships

Again, a hierarchy where one level must be met before the next.

Question 5

Bar-On (2005

Answer 5

includes personality factors such as self-regard, self-awareness, assertiveness, independence, optimism, flexibility and self-actualisation
Measured by EQ- i (Emotional Quotient Inventory) :-

Question 6

Bar On (2005) five domains of abilities with 15 subscales of Abilities and Personality factors:

Answer 6

Intrapersonal – self-regard, self-awareness, assertiveness, independence, and self-actualisation

• Interpersonal – empathy, social responsibility, interpersonal relationships
• Adaptability – reality-testing, flexibility, and problem-solving
• Stress management – stress tolerance, and impulse control
• General Mood – optimism, and happiness

Question 7

Petrides and Furnham

Answer 7

Adaptability
Assertiveness
Emotion expression
Emotion management (Others)
Emotion perception (Self and Others)
Emotion regulation
Impulsiveness
Relationships
Self esteem
Self motivation
Social awareness
Stress management
Trait empathy
Trait happiness
Trait optimism

Measured by Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaires (TEIQue). 30 item short form of this (TEIQue-SF) - with 2 items from each of the 15 subscales of the 153 item long form.To give us a ‘global Trait EI’ score.

Question 8

. Personality, Intelligence, or Both?

Answer 8

Seems that both required for Emotional Competency, but some people, e.g. Eysenck (2000), think that ‘mixed’ models of EI are ‘unscientific’. Not sure if P or I is contributing to performance. Uncertainty in defining the construct is reflected in measures used.