Binet and Simon argued that the essence of intelligence
is “to judge well, to comprehend well and to reason well”. General intelligence
is comprised of two parts cognitive intelligence and emotional and social
intelligence. Cognitive intelligence is also known as intelligence quotient or
IQ. This is a number arrived at using intelligence tests and is believed by
many to indicate a person’s level of intelligence. It comprises the ability to
reason, plan, solve problems, think abstractly, comprehend complex ideas and
learn quickly from ideas. According to Mayer and Salovey (1997) "Emotional
Intelligence involves the ability to perceive accurately, appraise and express
emotion ;the ability to access and or generate feelings when they facilitate
thought; the ability to understand emotion and emotional knowledge; and the
ability to regulate emotions to promote emotional and intellectual growth"
Having considered the descriptions of both I think that
Emotional Intelligence is more important because it essentially contributes
more to a person’s happiness and fulfilment in life. While a high IQ may define
how a person does in school and their career choice those with a lower IQ may
still succeed in education and will find suitable careers. A high IQ does not
necessarily produce a happy or well-rounded or a "nice" person.
However by measuring Emotional Intelligence it is suggested that those with
higher Emotional Intelligence interact well with people, are more content, well
adapted psychologically and prove to have desirable parenting skills (Stys and
Brown 2004). Lower Emotional Intelligence scores on the other hand are
connected to deviant and violent behaviour and illegal use of drugs and
alcohol. Cognitive Intelligence stays static throughout life while Emotional
Intelligence can be influenced and aspects improved or changed. Those with high
levels of Emotional Intelligence tend to make better leaders because they are
more inspirational. They are also more likely to be confident and have a sense
of social responsibility and enjoy happy relationships. Those with lower
Emotional Intelligence must be encouraged and taught by society to overcome
their difficulties to avoid moving to areas like violence and substance abuse.
Emotional Intelligence is not just about an individual it’s about all he/she
comes in contact with and society and therefore is more important than
Cognitive Intelligence in my opinion.
References
Bass, Bernard M, Riggio, Ronald E; Murphy Susan E;
Pirozzolo, Francis J 2002 Multiple intelligences and leadership, Lawrence
Erlbaum Associates Publishers.
Hayes, Nicky Foundations of Psychology 2006 Thomson Learning.
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