![]() ![]() That is, individuals high in EI pay attention to, use, understand, and manage emotions, and these skills serve adaptive functions that potentially benefit themselves and others (Mayer, Salovey, & Caruso, 2004 Salovey & Grewal, 2005). This valid conception of EI includes the ability to engage in sophisticated information processing about one s own and others emotions and the ability to use this information as a guide to thinking and behavior. Our principal claim is that a valid EI concept can be distinguished from other approaches. In this article, we explore these key criticisms of the field, contrasting what we believe to be a meaningful theory of EI with models describing it as a mix of traits. These models, wrote Daus and Ashkanasy (2003, pp ), have done more harm than good regarding establishing emotional intelligence as a legitimate, empirical construct with incremental validity potential. ![]() We agree with many of our colleagues who have noted that the term emotional intelligence is now employed to cover too many things too many different traits, too many different concepts (Landy, 2005 Murphy & Sideman, 2006 Zeidner, Roberts, & Matthews, 2004). Many features, such as self-esteem, included in these models do not directly concern emotion or intelligence or their intersection (Matthews et al., 2004, p. ![]() This alternative approach to the concept the use of the term to designate eclectic mixes of traits has led to considerable confusion and misunderstandings as to what an EI is or should be (Daus & Ashkanasy, 2003 Gohm, 2004 Mayer, 2006). Yet other investigators have described EI as an eclectic mix of traits, many dispositional, such as happiness, self-esteem, optimism, and self-management, rather than as ability based (Bar-On, 2004 Boyatzis & Sala, 2004 Petrides & Furnham, 2001 Tett, Fox, & Wang, 2005). The original definition of EI conceptualized it as a set of interrelated abilities (Mayer & Salovey, 1997 Salovey & Mayer, 1990). In fact, one commentator recently argued that EI is an invalid concept in part because it is defined in too many ways (Locke, 2005, p. Yet the apparent size of the field dwarfs what we regard as relevant scientific research in the area. (2002) have outlined the dramatic growth of the psychological literature concerning an EI. Since 1990, EI has grown into a small industry of publication, testing, education, and consulting (Matthews, Roberts, & Zeidner, 2004 Matthews, Zeidner, & Roberts, 2002). The original idea was that some individuals possess the ability to reason about and use emotions to enhance thought more effectively than others. Keywords: emotion, intelligence, emotional intelligence, personality, measurement The notion that there is an emotional intelligence (EI) began as a tentative proposal (Mayer, DiPaolo, & Salovey, 1990 Salovey & Mayer, 1990). EI conceptualized as an ability is an important variable both conceptually and empirically, and it shows incremental validity for predicting socially relevant outcomes. Clarifying what EI is and is not can help the field by better distinguishing research that is truly pertinent to EI from research that is not. Since the introduction of the concept, however, a schism has developed in which some researchers focus on EI as a distinct group of mental abilities, and other researchers instead study an eclectic mix of positive traits such as happiness, self-esteem, and optimism. The authors have termed this set of abilities emotional intelligence (EI). Caruso University of New Hampshire Yale University Some individuals have a greater capacity than others to carry out sophisticated information processing about emotions and emotion-relevant stimuli and to use this information as a guide to thinking and behavior. ![]() 1 Emotional Intelligence New Ability or Eclectic Traits? John D. ![]()
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