Emotional Intelligence and IQ

Intelligence – Nature/Nurture Debate

In psychological terms, intelligence can be defined as “the general mental ability involved in calculating, reasoning, perceiving relationships and analogies, learning quickly, storing and retrieving information, using language fluently, classifying, generalizing, and adjusting to new situations” (“intelligence,” 2013 Emotional Intelligence is, on the other hand, “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 reflectively regulate emotions in ways that promote emotional and intellectual growth” (Salovey & Sluyter, 1997, p. 23).

In simple words, it is an individual’s ability and skill to recognize and assess his/her emotional responses when dealing with own self or others. If truth be told, the overall intelligence is based upon the emotional intelligence and IQ a person possesses. Emotional intelligence and IQ are two sides of the same coin. A positive and constructive baseline IQ is needed by everyone to live life and carry out tasks in a good manner. On the other hand, emotional intelligence is the characteristic that discriminates stupendous and exceptional people and organizations (Bourey & Miller 2001).

As far as nature/nurture debate is concerned, two views are considered as controversial. Some regard behavioral characteristics to be inherited from nature whereas some people consider behavior to be acquired by nurturing that environment offers. On the other hand, the advocates of environment regard learning as the basic phenomenon due to which a human being acquires behavioral characteristics. They assume human beings as tabula rasa i.e. a blank slate which is filled up with experiences and learning in the course of time (Camille, 2005). In this connection, normal intelligence is considered to be the key of acquiring success and triumph in life. The awareness and understanding of one’s emotions is not connected with intellectual intelligence. (Antonakis, Ashkanasy & Dasborough 2009).

Emotional intelligence is learnt and it helps people to relate and socialize with other fellow beings and reaching their milestones. Emotional intelligence is believed to be important as it helps oneself to live life pleasurably and cheerfully. Emotional intelligence helps an individual to be conscious of the fact that how his actions and emotions affect those who are related to him. If a person has a deep understanding of his emotional intelligence, he is most likely to be the one who value and cherish the feelings and emotions of people around him. Such a person is able to understand the needs and wants of others. He would also be capable enough to identify with others on a number of levels.

Pioneers of Intelligence Testing

Emotional Intelligence (EI) and behaviors are outstandingly influenced by sexual characteristics, age, society, and socio-economic status. Maturation of the brain is another important feature that is considered while assessing emotional intelligence of an individual (Nelson, Low & Ellis 2007). There has been an escalating admiration of the interrelatedness of emotion, impulse, and conduct in the last few years. This connection of emotions helps an individual in normal development and social functioning (Eiseberg, Fabes & Losoya 1997).

In the earlier times, The intelligence-related investigations are considered the g-factor to be the general factor that could define and measure intelligence. However, such a simple method was rejected by some psychologists to be authentic enough to determine intelligence. According to Raymond Cattell, there are two major parts into which intelligence can be divided i.e. fluid ability and crystallized ability. Whereas fluid ability was regarded as an instinctive, fundamental interpretation skill, crystallized intelligence was considered by him as the necessary information and skills acquired by a person through his/her experience in the immediate surroundings. Other psychologists have further divided intelligence into subcategories. On the other hand, intelligence was divided into 7 components by Howard Gardner. He divided intelligence into “musical, bodily-kinesthetic, logical-mathematical, linguistic, spatial, interpersonal, and intrapersonal” (“intelligence,” 2013) components.

A system was devised by Alfred Binet and Theodore Simon in order to test intelligence, Scoring was based on homogeneous, typical intellectual levels for a range of people belonging to different age groups (“intelligence,” 2013). Benit defined intelligence as the capacity of an individual to find a purpose and maintain it, strategize to achieve that purpose and make necessary changes after the evaluation of that strategy. In simple words, he inter-related intelligence with problem-solving. Lewis Terman then worked on the expansion of the Binet-Simon Intelligence Scale his revisions were given the name of the Revised Stanford-Binet Intelligence Tests. Afterwards, David Wechsler designed an extremely significant tests’ series that proved really successful in the psychological field. He gave the test the name of Wechsler-Bellevue Intelligence Scale/the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale. These tests are used as a standard tool in the contemporary testing of intelligence. It won’t be wrong to state here that the contributions of Binet and Terman made it easier for their successors to classify intelligence in terms of a uniform evaluation. It is important to mention that a good number of individuals of different age groups took the tests to ensure this standardization (“intelligence,” 2013).

Controversies Involved In Intelligence Testing

The 11+ or Eleven Plus is an exam taken by the students who are in the final year of their primary school. In actual fact, a majority of the children are just ten years old while taking this test. This is the reason why 11 Plus means that children who are over the age of ten are preferred during selection for the tests. It was in 1944 that the Butler Education Act introduced this test. The use of the test was widespread all over the nation till 1976. The test was designed to check the IQ of the children. Those who passed the test successfully were given admissions in grammar schools. On the other hand, children who were not successful in passing it were to attend a Secondary Modern school or the Butler Education Act supervised technical schools. The Eleven Plus Exam faced a lot of controversy as its critics claimed it to be an exam meant for the rich as grammar schools could not be afforded by the parents whose incomes were low. Another issue was related to gender. Although girls were better scorers in the test than boys, they were not given equal number of seats in the grammar schools which was entirely discriminating and unfair. Status of the schools was questioned due to the Eleven Plus Exams as other schools were graded as less well-organized than grammar schools. Eleven Plus exams were also criticized as they affected the self-esteem of the children who failed this exam (McNeill, Blundell & Griffiths, 2003).

The role of intelligence-related genetic factors is best proved by the comparison of identical and fraternal twins. The underlying principle in twin studies is that both the stated twin groups usually develop and grow under environmental situations that are same. This is the reason why it is believed that greater genetic regularity makes their intelligence levels more similar. This indication makes it clear that IQ is an inherent characteristic. Many support this idea presenting the fact that identical twins share the same gender and are raised in a similar way. However, the advocates of the mentioned evidence believe that identical twins still show same intelligence levels even if they are reared apart from each other in different environmental conditions (Weiten, 2010).

Eugenics Movement – Development and Role of Leaders in its Establishment

Eugenics can be defined as the “study of human genetics and of methods to improve the inherited characteristics, physical and mental, of the human race” (“eugenics,” 2013). Euthenics, on the other hand, is the name given to the endeavors that are done for the improvement of human race by making accommodation and other environmental conditions better. The man who is regarded as the founder of eugenics in the modern world is Sir Francis Galton. He made great contributions in the field and emphasized on the role of socially-controlled factors that have the capacities to make the future generations and their living qualities better or worse. The Eugenics Movement is directed towards discouraging spread among those who are in poor condition and encouraging propagation among those who live in healthiness, improved environmental conditions and possess morality. However, a program of such caliber consists of a number of complexities as the most desirable traits can never be defined and acknowledged unanimously (“eugenics,” 2013).

The world witnessed severely intimidating application and implementation of eugenic principles. The governments involved themselves in implying such principles that ranged from miscegenation (inter-marriage between individuals belonging to different races) laws and obligatory sterilization of the abnormal individuals in a number of countries including United States of America to the Nazi Germany Holocaust (“eugenics,” 2013). As mentioned, Galton introduced eugenics and presented the theory that improvements may be brought in the human race if the fittest members of the society are encouraged to reproduce more. This idea gained fame throughout the world and the first part of the twentieth century saw the eugenics movement emerging at its fullest. Scientists began to coincide animal breeding with human genetics to promote the Eugenics Movement. In this regard, it is extremely important to mention the name of Charles Davenport who became the first American scientists to get hold of the genetics theory presented by Mendel. He was successful in disclosing significant information concerning albinism and similar inheritance of conditions. The eugenics movement brought troubles in the American society as insane people were started to be considered as worthless beings that were not able to produce healthy and intelligent offspring. This horrible movement also turned out to be the starting point of the racial prejudice that consequently resulted in the Immigration Act o;f 1924 passage. This Act restricted the Europeans in a great number from entering into the United States of America. Not only this, each and every one of the Asian immigrants was rejected to be given entrance in the American land. However, this continued only until 1960s (Engs, 2005). There are still a number of people who are in favor of this terrible movement and consider it wrong to give birth to a child knowing that he/she may have a genetic disorder or some other kind of disability or impairment. China is known to be one of the major places where government supported the regulated eugenics till 1990s.

State Boys Rebellion – Main Characters (Victims and Their Treatment)

“The State Boys Rebellion” is an entirely overwhelming work by Michael D’Antonio that highlights the Eugenic Movement. This story is regarding the unfortunate people who were tested to measure their intelligence defects, in the state run home known as Walter E. Fernald School for the Feebleminded in Waltham, Massachusetts. Freddie Boyce is the main character in the story that was shipped to the mentioned school to be tested. The School was involved in treating the normal boys as abnormal and treated those poor, illiterate and abused children in the satanic manners by assaulting them sexually and varying out forced lobotomies, shock therapies and sterilizing processes. Despite the fact that children emphasized on themselves being normal, they were subjected to the most ill treatments one can think of. However, the story ends in a good way when the abused children are shown to take over a ward and acquiring independence eventually.

State Boys Rebellion – Conclusion

This story weaves together the traumatic scenario of a State Boys Group and Eugenics history along with the characteristic known as human intelligence and the concerned policies that the world witnesses in the twentieth century. After going through the whole story, it can be easily concluded that Eugenics Movement was a really deep and dark secret of the history of the United States of America. It is a biting reality that hundreds and thousands of innocents and normal/abnormal American children were kept in warehouses under the supervision of the state governments and sadly, nothing was done by the federal government to stop this victimization of the innocent souls (America’s Deep, Dark Secret,” 2007).

Misapplication of Science

The Fernald School experience of the STATE BOYS was indeed a total misapplication of science as the institution was a product of the Eugenics Movement and it misused science by functioning to make the fittest American population happy by “alleviating the burden [of the] feebleminded and their many illnesses” (Rosen, 2005). Though Eugenics is a scientific field yet it is not to be applied on human beings to stop them from reproducing. This is the reason why I strongly believe that the said school was totally unjustified to bruise the bodies and souls of the innocent children. It is a thing to be thankful for that the dark era of Eugenics Movement came to a conclusion.