Emotional Intelligence History

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Emotional Intelligence history When psychologists began to write and think about intelligence, they initially focused on cognitive aspects, such as memory and problem-solving. However, some researchers recognized the importance of non-cognitive aspects early on: • Robert Thorndike was writing about social intelligence in 1937, • David Wechsler defined intelligence as the aggregate or global capacity of the individual to act purposefully, to think rationally, and to deal effectively with his environment (Wechsler, 1958, p. 7). Already in 1940 Wechsler referred to non-intellective as well as intellective elements (Wechsler, 1940), by which he meant affective, personal, and social factors. Furthermore, already in 1943 Wechsler was proposing that the non-intellective abilities are essential for predicting ones ability to succeed in life. • Howard Gardner began to write about multiple intelligence in 1983. He proposed that intrapersonal and interpersonal intelligences and the type of intelligence (typically measured by IQ and related tests) are equally important. • Salovey and Mayer actually coined the term emotional intelligence in 1990. They described emotional intelligence as "a form of social intelligence that involves the ability to monitor own and others feelings and emotions, to discriminate among them, and to use this information to guide ones thinking and action" (Salovey & Mayer, 1990). Salovey and Mayer also initiated a research program intended to develop valid measures of emotional intelligence and to explore its significance. In doing the research for his first book, Daniel Goleman became aware of Salovey and Mayers work in the early 1990s. Being trained as a psychologist at Harvard, where he worked with David McClelland, Goleman wrote the popular bestseller "Emotional Intelligence" (1995), in which he offered the first ' proof' that
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