The Importance of Emotional Intelligence in Social Judgment Competencies

What is the relationship between social judgment competencies and Emotional Intelligence?

Is Emotional Intelligence similar to the skills outlined in Mumford et al.'s skills model? How does Emotional Intelligence relate to cognitive empathy and practical intelligence?

Answer:

The social judgment competencies in Mumford et al.'s skills model best align with Emotional Intelligence. Emotional Intelligence includes recognizing, understanding, and managing our own and others' emotions. It has overlaps with cognitive empathy and practical intelligence, in which understanding and responding to social signals and the application of knowledge in different contexts are highlighted.

The social judgment competencies described in Mumford et al.'s skills model are most similar to the skills outlined in the framework of Emotional Intelligence. Emotional intelligence, according to Mayer, Salovey, & Caruso (2004), involves the ability to perceive and manage one's own and others' emotions, to discriminate among them, and to use this information to guide one's thinking and action. Parker, Saklofske, & Stough (2009) further elaborate on the testing of emotional intelligence. It correlates with cognitive empathy, which relates to the ability to take the perspective of others and feel concern for them.

On the other hand, Fiske, et al. (2002, 2010) worked on stereotypes related to competence, which also adds a social component to the understanding of these frameworks. Fiske's competence model considers factors like perceived status and competition.

Last but not least, Sternberg's theory which identified practical, creative, and analytical types of intelligence, also fits into the context of emotional intelligence in the way that practical intelligence can sometimes be compared to the social judgment competencies. Practical intelligence often means finding solutions that work in real life by applying knowledge based on experiences, similar to being sensitive to emotional cues and social context.