Untitled - Springer Publishing

PREFACE
ramifications. But the strong claims being made for its importance
were not substantiated by adequate evidence—and some
of the more extreme claims found in popular writings on the
subject were simply ludicrous. Our discussion led to the first
comprehensive critique of EI, our book Emotional Intelligence:
Science and Myth, published by MIT Press in 2002.
In Emotional Intelligence: Science and Myth, we came to several
general conclusions. Even in the scientific literature, the
available evidence often failed to support researchers’ claims
for EI. Tests of EI often showed rather modest associations with
objective outcome criteria, such as educational and job success.
We also identified issues for the measurement of EI, which
turns out to be a more challenging quality to assess than conventional
ability and personality. In consequence, the promise
of EI for enhancing individual and societal well-being was some
way from being fulfilled.
Since that time, the fast pace of research on EI has kept us
busy writing further books, journal articles, book chapters,
and the odd conference presentation or two (in such settings,
often with liquid libations close at hand to stimulate our critical
thinking). Some of our initial concerns have been allayed
by new evidence supporting the validity of scales for EI; other
concerns still remain. In Emotional Intelligence 101, we aim to
introduce critical perspectives on EI. That is, we aim to give the
reader both an introduction to contemporary research on EI,
in its various guises, and also a sense of the conceptual and
empirical tests that must be satisfied before EI can be accepted
as a major new aspect of individual differences. In the world of
EI research, little should be taken at face value. The critic must
clarify the claims made for EI, and examine carefully the evidence
supporting those claims.
In Chapter 1 (Introduction), we introduce the concept, balancing
its potential with our critical stance. Progress requires
a clear and coherent theory-based conceptualization of EI,
reliable and valid assessment instruments, and translation of
basic research into practical interventions. One of the issues
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