Free Essay On Answers To Questions: Emotional Intelligence

Part 1: What compelling evidence exists for the construct of emotional intelligence?

For concepts that cannot be verified intangibly like the construct of emotional intelligence, the only compelling evidence is the existence of research and learning programs aimed at assessing and improving it. This question is a bit complicated in sense that emotional intelligence cannot be described or modeled through mathematical equations juts like other intangible construct like black holes, dark energy and dark matter in other fields of scientific studies. The only evidences available for emotional intelligence are the reactions, expressed in terms of changes in some aspects academic performance or social interaction. The aforementioned learning programs are carefully created and crafted by experts with their idea of what emotional intelligence is and its manifestations. They then apply the program and monitor any change in the manifestations of the construct in diverse parameters such as ease of socialization. It is these changes that are serving as proofs for the construct of emotional intelligence. The findings of the study conducted by Durlak, Weissberg, Dymnicki & Taylor (2011) which made use of the Social and Emotional Learning program is an example of study that tries to provide compelling proofs in the said manner. The effects of the ability to socialize in learning as shown in the study of Garner (2010) are also compelling proofs of the said construct when she showed that emotional intelligence as manifested in the ability of students to socialize affects academic performance.

Part 2: Describe the potential relationship between emotional intelligence and learning (use other references to answer).

In the study conducted by Han & Johnson (2012) it was shown that once students are able to master their moods and feelings, then they tend to learn faster and more efficiently than those students who cannot. This means that the capacity of an individual to control his or her emotions is a determining factor in learning. Moreover, most educational systems encourage socialization among their students. Such socialization is important in doing group projects. Some things are best learned through group activities and group activities need a lot of socialization. Some aspects of emotional intelligence are the ability of students to interpret facial expressions as well as moods of other students. If students have high mastery in doing so, they can easily proceed with school activities in groups without encountering any conflict. They are also more in sync with their efforts which allow the completion of the task easily and efficiently; hence, the learning process. LeDoux (1994) explained his study that emotional intelligence help govern emotions, which in turn affect memory functions, and he brain.

Part 3: Provide a personal or professional example within Canadian or western culture to illustrate this example/perspective

A professional example of the perspective that emotional intelligence help govern the efficiency of learning within the western culture is shown in the study conducted by Han & Johnson (2012). In their study they have investigated the ease of completion of some academic task designated as online group works for medical students of the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine at Springfield, Illinois, USA. They have monitored how each student responds to other students query or communications. They have found out that students who tend to interpret facial expression – or body languages in general – and can easily cope with the moods of their group mates have higher fulfillment of the learning outcomes compared to those who cannot. This therefore proves that emotional intelligence, which is perceived to directly affect the capacity of an individual socialize to be, indeed, also affecting learning. The same is true for other activities that required socialization and synchronous efforts among the group members. Those which high emotional intelligence quotient tends to learn more in group discussions and similar activities. Such results are also evident in the work of Grayson (2012).

References

Durlak, J.A., Weissberg, R.P., Dymnicki, A.B. and Taylor, R.D. (2011). The Impact of Enhncing Studets’ Social Emotional Learning: A Meta-Analysis of School-Based Universal Interventions. Child Development 2(1), pp. 405 – 432.
Garner, P.W. (2010).Emotional Competence and its Influences on Teaching and Learning. Educational Psychology Review 22(1), pp. 297–321
Grayson, R. (2012). Social, developmental, & organizational psychology applied to camp. Retrieved from: <www.visionrealization.com>. 
Han, H., and Johnson, S. D. (2012). Relationship between students’ emotional intelligence, social bond, and interactions in online learning. Educational Technology & Society, 15 (1), 78–89.
LeDoux, J. (1994). Emotion, memory and the brain. Scientific American, 270(1), pp. 50-57.