Teaching and Learning Guide for: Emotional Intelligence: Towards a Consensus of Models and Measures

Abstract

The article, and a proposed course around which it might coalesce, covers different ways that emotional intelligence (EI) has been conceptualized, measured, and applied. It begins with an examination of research on early antecedents of emotional abilities (e.g., facial expression) and moves right on through to cover multi-media assessment paradigms. Models describing EI as a character trait are compared and contrasted with those that view EI as a form of information-processing or knowledge. It is concluded that the latter type of model, exemplified by the four-branch hierarchical model of EI, is the only logical concept that might bear the label ‘‘emotional intelligence’’. Potential emendations to the way EI is currently conceptualized and measured are covered, including emotion recognition assessments, situational judgment tests, and the empathic agent paradigm. Armed with knowledge of new assessments, the article (and resultant course) also suggests an agenda for future research in the field to provide better understanding of emotional intelligence. The course differs somewhat from the article, however, by including how emotional intelligence might be applied to social life, schooling, clinical psychology, and the workplace. This teaching and learning guide begins with an annotated bibliography of some of the key books and research articles in the area of emotional intelligence. We follow this section with a list of websites that may be of interest to students, along with a capsule description of the content on these websites. Next, we present a sample syllabus on the topic of emotional intelligence, with emphasis on theory, measurement, and applications. Finally, we list a series of questions that can be used to motivate classroom discussion, and present project ideas that allows students to integrate their own experiences, observations, and knowledge with research in the area of emotional intelligence.