Alwar
The Architect
- Joined
- Jun 19, 2009
- Messages
- 922
- MBTI Type
- INTP
No problem! I love this stuff.
Yes, measuring emotional intelligence is still in the bloodletting phase. The concept of IQ has been around for much longer. Always the nature vs. nurture debate, right? Emotional intelligence is thought to be more dependent on environment than IQ- but that could be argued, bc theoretically emotional intelligence's "glass ceiling" is largely determined by the potential of IQ "range".
Does temperament have any bearing on emotional intelligence? Does temperament have a genetic component?
Regardless, I wanted to highlight the "not innate...but learned..." portion to help undo some of the damage done by the pressure to behave a certain way or be more like a certain type. We forget that although the U.S. is predominantly extroverted (75% depending on which stats you refer to, but there is undoubtedly pressure to be extroverted) Japan is predominantly introverted. In other societies being extroverted is seen as loud, rude, obnoxious, self-centered...(well actually it is at times, isn't it?) and highly discouraged in individuals.
I have yet to find stats on N/S world wide, however, but I would LOVE to find that info...
Well it appears to be primarily nature from the twin studies we have, but the whole concept of nature/nuture may be misleading. There is a good chat between philosopher Patricia Churchland and Ed Wilson where Wilson suggests we shouldn't even look at it that way as it is obsolete. Wilson was the guy who picked a fight with the blank-slate orthodox back in the 70's when he published the book Sociobiology and was unprepared for the political backlash which was pretty brutal at the time.
I know that they avoid explicitly stating there is an innate factor when it comes to children because that implies they can never improve and people go berserk at the suggestion. My European friends tell me that American tourists are loud and obnoxious. The extroverted thing does appear to be heavily influenced by culture. Psychologist Laurie Helgoe contests the notion that most people are extroverted in a book she wrote showing studies where the majority actually identified themselves as introverted. I watched a documentary about psychopathy awhile back and a researcher from Glasgow was saying that comparisons show that psychopaths tend to be more reserved and quiet in the UK, whereas in North America they are very outgoing and charismatic.
Neuroscience is really adding to our understanding of these things, it seems like everyday something exciting is coming out of that field and I am tempted to go back and study it. Don't get me started!