An in-depth, scientific analysis of Emotional Intelligence (EI) models and tools from over the last two decades – offering a new generic EI model (EmotionIntell) and an assessment tool (e-Factor).
I set out in 2017 to establish whether a generic, widely accepted, equivalent to
Intelligence Quotient (IQ) exists for
Emotional Intelligence (EI). If not, then I was committed to developing a theoretical EI model and an assessment approach that can achieve this.
My motivation? I am keen to develop a reliable model, curriculum and resources to help build emotional skills in children aged between 4 and 9. These formative years are so crucial and if we can help children understand and manage emotions in themselves and their interactions with others at this early age, I am convinced it will help reduce our reliance on suppressant medicines, mental health institutions, and prisons. Prevention is easier than cure... surely. And more humane and constructive. Current offerings into schools are force-fit adaptations from adult models built for leadership contexts. Also there were multiple conflicting EI models around that meant we don’t even have a concensus of how we define and scope EI for adults. I decided that it would be responsible to start there and then contextualise a tested model for children. This book focuses on the adult phase as the children adaptation is work in progress.
I have shared my own systematic analysis of the extant literature, and evaluation of the claimed strengths and limitations of the existing EI models and related assessment approaches. It includes the results of a detailed consultation with SMEs who are working in this field of research. This was to ensure that this research and development work is current, and that it incorporates input and peer-review from a diverse range of EI experts. This is necessary as existing EI models span a mixed-model spectrum; some take a trait-model approach, some take an ability-model approach, and others adopt a mixture of both traits and abilities in the EI model primary factors (mixed models). Mayer et al., (2008) captured the crucial impact of this
mixed-model landscape in 2008 [that has only compounded since then] when they reported the criticism that the research on EI
"....can be described by what Lakatos (1968, cited in Smith, 2005) referred to as a “degenerating research program”, which consists of a series of defensive shifts in terminology and hypotheses, that is 'unlikely to yield new knowledge and understanding.(Smith, 2005:401).' " Mayer et al, (2008:513)
This diverse interest in EI has tended to “obscure definitional clarity” (Zeidner et al., 2002:215) which has led to a need for a “clear conceptualization and definition” (Zeidner et al., 2004:247). If you aren’t convinced, then you can explore Matthews et al. (2004) and Zeidner et al. (2008) for further reinforcement of this need for construct clarity and unambiguous definitions.
These divisions around EI, and even the root construct of
intelligence, make the work of the EI researcher more challenging, and interesting. This book will, therefore, share definitions of EI and related terminologies, so you can see the foundations that underpinned this work.
This book aims to deliver:
- a clear definition and model (EmotioIntell) of EI drawn from empirical research, that is supported by a significant number of subject-matter experts (SMEs);
- a commitment to abilities (not traits) as primary factors so the resulting EI model is capable of being classified as an intelligence;
- an online assessment tool (the e-Factor), provided free to readers, that aims to integrate and leverage the research to provide an EQ measure for adults.
