The 7 Types Of Emotional Intelligence And Their Functions
Emotional Intelligence is the ability that allows us to understand our own emotions and those of others, as well as being able to adapt to different situations.
There are different types of Emotional Intelligence, and different psychologists have made different classifications of it. We will take into account whether the ability to understand emotions refers to oneself (personal) or to other subjects (interpersonal) and whether it is linked to stress management, adaptive skills or a positive mood.
As with other abilities, we can work to enhance it, and some actions that we can carry out during our daily lives to promote it have been found to be useful.
In this article We will see the different types of Emotional Intelligence and their characteristics.
The assessment of intelligence has been evolving and developing over the years. At first, only general intelligence or that linked to the knowledge we acquired in the academic field was taken into account. But subsequently the range of skills involved has been expanded, taking into account other types of intelligence that are also important for the lives of the subjects, as is the case of Emotional Intelligence.
Emotional Intelligence was first described by Peter Salovey and John Mayer, although the concept was developed by psychologist Daniel Goleman. This intelligence is defined as the ability to recognize and understand one’s own emotions and those of others It allows us to identify and distinguish different emotions, to use the information, sensations, that emotions produce in us to act or think in a certain way.
In short, Emotional Intelligence allows us to better adapt to our environment, since it gives us information, makes us aware of how the people around us feel and how we feel. Thus making it easier for us to live in harmony and act in a way more appropriate to the situation.
Components of emotional intelligence
Emotional Intelligence is made up of 5 components. That is, there are 5 factors that are linked to Emotional Intelligence and that are present in subjects who stand out for this type of intelligence. Let’s see what they are and how each one is defined.
Emotional self-awareness refers to the ability that some subjects have to know themselves to identify and recognize their emotions and be aware of what they are feeling at each moment, how their emotional state may vary.
2. Emotional self-regulation
As the name indicates, the emotional self-regulation component refers to the ability that some people show to control their emotions. They are able to repress the impulse to act if they know that this action will affect other people or themselves. Thus, It does not mean repressing our emotions but knowing how to modulate them so that these benefit us and do not affect us negatively.
3. Empathy
Empathy is the ability that allows us to understand the emotional state of the people around us and go further, putting ourselves in their place. We not only identify how you feel, but we understand and understand why you feel that way Thus, this understanding gives us the possibility of acting in a more appropriate way, more in line with the situation, to try to achieve better communication with the other person, so that they feel understood.
4. Motivation
Motivation is a fundamental state for the correct performance of people, so that they remain active and continue to progress and develop. Stay motivated, with goals that we want to achieve, allows us to show greater effort to adapt to new situations Having goals is what helps us move forward, fighting for what we want.
5. Social skills
Social skills are essential to be able to establish appropriate relationships with other people In this way, the ability to emotionally understand others is also linked to greater development of social skills.
Types of Emotional Intelligence
Different authors have focused on the study of intelligence, and more specifically on knowing and describing the different types of Emotional Intelligence. Below we will mention the main Emotional Intelligence classes that they propose to us.
Emotional Intelligence according to D. Goleman
We have already said that Goleman is the most recognized author in the study of Emotional Intelligence. This psychologist divides Emotional Intelligence into two types.
1. Personal Intelligence
This intelligence refers to the ability we have to understand ourselves emotionally Be aware of how we feel and thus be able to act according to this self-knowledge to achieve a better state.
This type of intelligence is related to three elements or capacities: self-awareness, the ability to be aware of oneself, to know what state we are in and how we feel; self-regulation, which refers to the ability to control our own emotions or what we feel, not getting carried away by it; and self-motivation, linked to the ability to stay active and strong to move forward and achieve our goals.
2. Interpersonal intelligence
In this case, interpersonal intelligence refers to how people understand others and understand them, how we relate to them Two types of factors influence that are essential for this type of intelligence to take place: empathy, as we said, is the ability to understand the emotions of others and make them our own, putting ourselves in their place; and social skills, which allow us to relate to other people appropriately, with respect for ourselves and others, and being assertive.
Emotional Intelligence according to Reuven Bar-On
Another notable author in the field of Emotional Psychology is Reuven Bar-On. This psychologist proposes Emotional Intelligence as the ability to understand ourselves, to relate correctly with others and to be able to adapt to different events, overcome adversities. Likewise, he distinguishes 5 types of Emotional Intelligence.
1. Intrapersonal skills
Intrapersonal skills are the ability to regulate and manage our own emotions The way we identify our emotions, understand them, regulate them and express them. Thus, this type of intelligence, proposed by Bar-On, we can relate to the personality defined by Goleman.
2. Interpersonal skill
Interpersonal skills allow us to relate appropriately with others, express ourselves correctly, being assertive and understanding how they feel. It would therefore be linked to the interpersonal intelligence proposed by Goleman.
3. Stress Management
Stress, understood as a reaction that generates tension in us, keeping us physically active, produces great discomfort in the subjects who suffer from it. For this reason it is important to learn to regulate and control it. As we have already pointed out, emotional self-regulation is very important to maintain a good emotional state. Thus, we could define this type of Emotional Intelligence as that which allows us to regulate and manage our stress level very useful for example in the workplace.
Another type of Emotional Intelligence according to Bar-On is related to the ability to adapt to the different situations that occur in our lives. One of the key skills to be able to adapt is flexibility, being able to act differently depending on the situation As we already saw, Emotional Intelligence allows us to be aware of our emotions and those of others and thus act accordingly, adapting.
5. Positive mood
Positive mood is related to greater emotional stability and maintenance if we compare it with emotions. This state allows us to act in a better way and show greater willingness to carry out different activities. Also relating to a type of Emotional Intelligence.
How to train and enhance Emotional Intelligence
Although there are people who show greater Emotional Intelligence than others, this ability can be trained and enhanced. There are some activities that we can do in our daily lives that can be useful.
1. Write down the positive things that have happened to you
Sometimes we are not aware of the good that happens to us, since we focus only on our concerns. To more easily recognize positive events, it can help us to spend a few minutes a day writing down the good things that have happened to us.
2. Perform active and empathetic listening
When we talk to someone, it is not enough to hear what they tell us, it is necessary to listen and do so actively, which means going beyond what they communicate to us, itrying to understand the emotions and thoughts behind their speech
3. Express positive things
In today’s society it is less difficult for us to express what we don’t like about someone than to tell them what we do like. It is also important to communicate what we like about the other person, in this way we promote a better relationship and a better state of the other subject and ourselves.
4. Take time for yourself
An important element of Emotional Intelligence is self-awareness, knowing yourself. To achieve this purpose, it is essential that we dedicate time to ourselves to get to know ourselves. It is essential to know how we feel and to be able to reflect on why we feel this way
5. Stay motivated
Motivation is also necessary for the development of Emotional Intelligence. Set yourself the objectives, goals, that you want to achieve in order to stay active. It is advisable to set both long-term and short-term, more attainable goals.
