Emotional Intelligence

   When psychologists began to write and think about intelligence, they focused on cognitive aspects such as memory and problem solving.  However, there were researchers who early on who recognized that non-cognitive aspects were also important.

 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."  As early as 1940, he referred to "non-intellective" as well as "intellective" elements.  When patterns and questions began to arise around individuals with high IQs who were not functioning well in life, Wechsler proposed that non-intellective abilities "are essential for predicting one's ability to succeed in life."

 Salovey and Mayer coined the term emotional intelligence in 1990; a form of social intelligence that involves the ability to monitor one's own and other's feelings and emotions, to discriminate among them, and to use this information to guide one's thinking and actions.