10759 Emotional Intelligence

Credits: 3 intermediate credits in Psychology

Prerequisites: Introduction to Psychology, Introduction to Statistics for Students of Social Sciences I

Recommended: Introduction to Statistics for Students of Social Sciences II, Research Methods in Social Sciences

The course is based on a reader that includes chapters from books and research papers, edited by Moshe Zeidner and Dorit Olenik-Shemesh.

Emotional intelligence (EI), a scientific construct subsumed under the broader domain of “Positive Psychology,” represents the complex patterns of associations and mutual interactions between emotion and cognition. EI is composed of an array of related emotional competencies that support the identification, understanding, application, and regulation of emotions in a person’s life. It has been claimed that the adaptive use of emotional competencies is among the pivotal factors that lead to the improvement of one’s well being and personal growth in diverse areas of life.

The course aims to present the domain of EI in depth, thus enabling the student to distinguish between valid scientific knowledge garnered on the basis of sound EI conceptualization and research, on one hand, and the myths surrounding the concept, on the other.

Objectives: Understanding the scientific approach to EI by exposing students to research tools, measurement instruments, and skills to enable them to critically read the literature and consider central conceptual, research, assessment, and applied issues in this area; Understanding and appreciating the contribution of EI to social functioning and close personal relations in different areas.

Topics: Emotional intelligence: Conceptual frameworks and basic issues; Principles of EI measurement and evaluation; Research on patterns of relationships between EI and related constructs; Application of EI in true-to-life situations and applied contexts including education, organizations and worksites, coping with stress, and clinical and social applications.