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Empathy and Emotional intelligence: What is it really about

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Abstract

Empathy is the "capacity" to share and understand another’s "state of mind" or emotion. Itis often characterized as the ability to “put oneself into another’s shoes”, or in some way experience the outlookor emotions of another being within oneself. Empathy is a powerful communication skill that is often misunderstoodand underused. Initially, empathy was referred to as “bedside manner”; now, however, authors and educatorsconsider empathetic communication a teachable, learnable skill that has tangible benefits for both clinicianand patient: Effective empathetic communication enhances the therapeutic effectiveness of the clinician-patientrelationship. Appropriate use of empathy as a communication tool facilitates the clinical interview, increases theefficiency of gathering information, and honours the patient. Additionally, Emotional Intelligence (EI), often measuredas an Emotional Intelligence Quotient (EQ), describes a concept that involves the ability, capacity, skill or aself-perceived ability, to identify, assess, and manage the emotions of one’s self, of others, and of groups. Becauseit is a relatively new area of psychological research, the concept is constantly changing. The EQ concept argues thatIQ, or conventional intelligence, is too narrow; that there are wider areas of emotional intelligence that dictate andenable how successful we are. Success requires more than IQ (Intelligence Quotient), which has tended to be thetraditional measure of intelligence, ignoring essential behavioural and character elements. We’ve all met peoplewho are academically brilliant and yet are socially and inter-personally inept. And we know that despite possessinga high IQ rating, success does not automatically follow. The aim of this review is to describe the concept of empathyand emotional intelligence, compare it to other similar concepts and clarify their importance as vital parts of effectivesocial functioning. Just how vital they are, is a subject of constant debate.
REVIEW
International Journal of Caring Sciences, 1(3):118–123
Empathy and emotional intelligence:
What is it really about?
Ioannidou F
Clinical Collaborator, Nursing Department, Alexander Technological Education Institute of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
Konstantikaki V
Clinical Collaborator, Nursing Department, Alexander Technological Education Institute of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
ABSTRACT: Empathy is the "capacity" to share and understand another’s "state of mind" or emotion. It
is often characterized as the ability to “put oneself into another’s shoes, or in some way experience the outlook
or emotions of another being within oneself. Empathy is a powerful communication skill that is often misunder-
stood and underused. Initially, empathy was referred to as “bedside manner”; now, however, authors and educa-
tors consider empathetic communication a teachable, learnable skill that has tangible benefits for both clinician
and patient: Effective empathetic communication enhances the therapeutic effectiveness of the clinician-patient
relationship. Appropriate use of empathy as a communication tool facilitates the clinical interview, increases the
efficiency of gathering information, and honours the patient. Additionally, Emotional Intelligence (EI), often meas-
ured as an Emotional Intelligence Quotient (EQ), describes a concept that involves the ability, capacity, skill or a
self-perceived ability, to identify, assess, and manage the emotions of one’s self, of others, and of groups. Because
it is a relatively new area of psychological research, the concept is constantly changing. The EQ concept argues that
IQ, or conventional intelligence, is too narrow; that there are wider areas of emotional intelligence that dictate and
enable how successful we are. Success requires more than IQ (Intelligence Quotient), which has tended to be the
traditional measure of intelligence, ignoring essential behavioural and character elements. We’ve all met people
who are academically brilliant and yet are socially and inter-personally inept. And we know that despite possessing
a high IQ rating, success does not automatically follow. The aim of this review is to describe the concept of empathy
and emotional intelligence, compare it to other similar concepts and clarify their importance as vital parts of effec-
tive social functioning. Just how vital they are, is a subject of constant debate.
KEY WORDS: Empathy, emotional intelligence, communication skills
F. Ioannidou, 1A Nafpliou street, GR-544 54 Thessaloniki,
Greece
Tel (+30) 2310-522 229, 6947-685 535
e-mail: fedra.ioannidou@freemail.gr
sional remains essential to a quality care (Larson, Yao
2005). Additionally, “Emotional intelligence” is a concept
including perception, expression and control of emo-
tions, self-control and empathy, communication, con-
flict resolution process, conscience, and perhaps many
more. It became topical in 1998, when the «classic» book
by Daniel Goleman "The emotional intelligence: Why
EQ is more important than IQ" was published. Through
the following pages the above concepts are discussed and
their importance to effective communication is pointed
out.
Introduction
Empathy should characterize all health care profes-
sions. Despite advancement in technology, the healing
relationship between the patient and the health profes-
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EMPATHY AND EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE: WHAT IS IT REALLY ABOUT? 119
Empathy
The origin of the word empathy dates back to the 1880s,
when German psychologist Theodore Lipps coined the
term “einfuhlung” (literally, “in-feeling”) to describe the
emotional appreciation of another’s feelings. Empathy
has further been described as the process of understand-
ing a person’s subjective experience by vicariously shar-
ing that experience while maintaining an observant
stance. (Zinn W 1999) It seems that empathy plays an
important role in a therapeutic relationship (Wiseman T
1996). Empathy means to recognize others’ feelings, the
causes of these feelings, and to be able to participate in
the emotional experience of an individual without be-
coming part of it (Keen S 2007). Gagan (1983) indicates
that empathy is the ability to perceive ones feelings on
one hand, while transmitting them on the other.
Empathy should characterise health care professionals
and patients communication in order to achieve the de-
sired healing results (Pembroke NF 2007). There seems
to be some confusion concerning the precise definition
of “empathy”. Therefore, analyzing further this concept
is considered necessary to clarify its meaning. Fairbairn
(2002) describing the differences between sympathy
(sympathy) and empathy (empathy) appointed to the
first concept the ability to feel sympathy, and to empathy
the ability to put one self into another’s shoes, as a sign of
humanity. Sympathy is an emotional reaction, immedi-
ate and uncontrolled, which inundates when one person
imagines himself in the position someone else is. That is
why it can lead to suspension of care or alleviate ethical
actions. Empathy on the other hand, is a skill learned
or an attitude of life, which can be used to try to come
into contact with someone, to communicate and under-
stand others’ experiences or feelings (Halpern J 2003). In
addition, a person may be deemed to have more or less
developed empathy and to have a tendency to use more
this ability-depending on whether he feels responsible
towards other persons (Ickes W 1997).
Empathy can be expressed in terms of joy, sorrow,
excitement, misery, pain and confusion. In health care,
empathy enables health care professionals and patients
to work together (Le Compte A 2000). It is often de-
scribed as "the ability to see the world through someone
else’s eyes", which simply implies developing the ability
to imagine what someone else is thinking and feeling in
a given situation. This is an attempt to understand one
another, to live and feel things in the same way.
When empathy is developed and used, it is unlikely to
know exactly what another person feels. However, it is
important for health care personnel to try to imagine
what another person is experiencing (Reynolds B 1994).
Communicating with others becomes more fruitful if
some basic conditions are fulfilled, such as:
Emotional understanding: health care professionals
understand the problem through the patient’s point of
view
Respect: recognition and full acceptance of the patient
as a person
Authenticity: honesty, real expression of views without
hypocrisy
Warmth and unconditional positive recognition
Self exposure: health care professional reports personal
experiences from his perspective
Resolution: health care professional’s ability to identify
and name patient’s feelings.
At those various stages, many mental skills can be used
such as searching and electing patient’s qualifications,
careful monitoring and hearing, using additional ques-
tions for gathering information to specify dark spots,
small encouragements (head nod, simple words, cues,
when watching the patient encourage him to continue
speaking), directing patient to possible solutions and
support his efforts to change.
A recent study published in “Science” magazine re-
vealed that the human beings are not exclusively the only
organizations in nature having empathy. Researchers at
McGill University in Canada put mice couples to look one
another as one of the two animals received pain stimuli.
They remarked with surprise, that there was a statisti-
cally significant behavioural change in pain even in the
mouse-observer (Langford DJ et al 2006). Empathy is not
the result of previous experience. It is the moment when
«non-verbal» contact between people is occurring (Goldie
P 2000). What is important is the degree of empathy as-
sumed and caused (by stimulating us).
Characteristics of empathy that affect learning
Empathy and confidence are the basis on which any
effective relationship, understanding and communica-
tion can be built. They are crucial in developing ideas
and solutions, in problem solving, effective communica-
tion and avoiding or preventing conf licts. Empathy is an
important capability, which all people must develop in
order to progress and continue with their life (Pedersen
R 2007). The ability to understand, to blench and to dis-
connect from your personal feelings (sense of objectiv-
ity), is particularly important in creating effective and
constructive relations (Halpern J 2007).
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120 F. IOANNIDOU and V. KONS TANTIK AKI
Establishing confidence and association with other
people are essential elements for developing scientific
and professional discussions and disagreements. The es-
tablishment of confidence is associated with the ability
to listen and understand another person, although this
does not necessarily mean agreeing with him (Yegdich
T 1999). A useful tactic, which people should develop,
is carefully listen one another, trying to understand
how another person feels and what he wants to achieve
(Boeree CG 1998). Teamwork should be focused in en-
couraging people to understand others’ requirements, to
suggest ways of achieving their objectives and to coop-
erate together to solve problems. In this way, they will
develop confidence for their partners.
Emotional hearing
It is undisputed that Hearing is the most important
communication capacity. It isn’t a natural characteris-
tic of all human beings and people have to work further
in this area in order to control their behaviour, not to
intervene in all discussions and not to offer their opin-
ion, when it is not appropriate (Hemmerdinger JMS et
all 2007).
Most people aren’t really listening to others, but are
just waiting for their turn to speak and communicate
their personal views and experiences without listening
and really understanding the rest of the respondents
(White SJ 1997).
Three different attitudes are recognised by psycholo-
gist Carl Rogers. A health care professional should first
understand those attitudes and then explain to patients:
The first one concerns authenticity, the second concerns
unconditional positive regard, and the third concerns
empathy.
Rogers (1959) defines empathy as “the ability of health
care professionals to accurately understand patients,
emotionally and mentally, as though they were in the pa-
tient’s shoes, but without losing their status”.
Health care professionals should be able to see the
world through the patient’s eyes. They should balance
between two different worlds: the patient's and their
own. If they lean towards the patient side, they might
fall into the trap of fully identifying with the patient and
thus lose their role. If they lean towards the health care
professional side, then the patient gets the message that
they do not listen to him, they do not care about him,
and they do not understand him (Ιosifidis P, Ιosifidis Ι
2002). Empathy may seem simple, but it is not just a sim-
ple reflection of patient’s sayings at any communication.
It is rather the active understanding of the emotions
attached to the words used by the patient. Those emo-
tions are displayed and simultaneously hided, either be-
cause they cause anxiety and confusion, or because they
have not yet come into conscious level (Rogers C 1951).
Empathy requires vigilance so that the hidden mean-
ings in and behind the words will be understood. The
objective, as it happens with the other two therapeutic
conditions, is via the qualitative presence of health care
personnel, to enable the patient to search and process
his own reality in order to achieve self-knowledge and
finally self control.
Emotional intelligence: a new concept
The concept of emotional intelligence has enjoyed
great popularity in recent years. Many studies deal with
the development of emotional intelligence in adults and
children (Cadman C, Brewer J 2001). Emotional intelli-
gence is someone’s ability: (a) to understand his feelings,
(b) to listen to others and to feel them, and (c) to express
his emotions in a productive manner (Goleman D 1998).
Emotional intelligence is a new concept symbolized by
the abbreviation EQ (Emotional Intelligence Quotient).
It includes skills such as being able to control the impulse,
to curb the impatience, to properly regulate mood and to
prevent the frustration, to stifle the ability to think, to
have empathy and hope (Petrides KV, Furnham A 2000).
EQ may be equally and sometimes more powerful than
IQ (IQ). They are not two conflicting but rather two
distinct capabilities. Many people connect spirit with
emotional insight. Academic intelligence doesn’t have
relation with emotions and feelings. The most intelligent
persons among us could be drown into an ocean of un-
disciplined impulses and unbridled passions. (Goleman
D 1999)
Howard Gardner in his book “Intelligence Reframed:
Multiple Intelligences for the 21st Century” (Gardner H
1999) argues that Human intelligence does not have a
single format, while recognizing eight forms of human
intelligence:
Linguistic, as the ability to efficiently use words, ma-
nipulate languages and express meanings through writ-
ten words, debate, humour etc
Logical-Mathematical, as the ability to use numbers
and effectively analyze scientific thought, productive
and deductive reasoning
Visual and spatial perception, as the ability to perceive
sites and to form mental images as creating maps, plas-
tic arts etc
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EMPATHY AND EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE: WHAT IS IT REALLY ABOUT? 121
achievement. People who have this ability tend to be
much more productive and effective
Recognition of other person’s emotions. Empathy, an abil-
ity that has its basis in emotional awareness, is a fun-
damental «human skill». Empathetic people are more
amenable to silence social signals indicating what other
people may want or need (Leiberg S, Anders S 2006).
This makes them better in professions related to com-
munity outreach, teaching, sales and administration
Handling relations. The art of interpersonal relations is
to a large extent, the skill of handling other’s feelings.
These are skills leading to popularity, leadership acu-
men and interpersonal success (Goleman D et all 2002).
People who have largely those skills usually stand out
in terms of smooth interaction with others and always
distinguish in social scene.
In the early ’90s, Howard Gardner with his work on
“multiple intelligence” gave another dimension. The the-
ory of Reuven Baron on emotional intelligence followed
and introduced the term EQ as opposed to IQ. Emotional
intelligence, according to Reuven Baron, is related to
those abilities of individuals to understand themselves
and others, easily adapt to changes and demands of the
environment and to manage emotions. They were fol-
lowed by Mayer, Salovey in 1990, and Daniel Goleman
in 1995. It is true that the various psychometric tests to
measure emotional intelligence are new in the field of
psychometrics, and the measurement of such complex
factors is a quite difficult and arduous work, and some-
times leading to undesired results. Researches investi-
gating the relationship between emotional intelligence
and school performance suggested a moderate positive
correlation between these two factors. School will have
to breathe in students the ability to achieve to feel happy,
to provide activities full of life. The above concerns eve-
ryone without any distinction between moderate or ex-
cellent students. It is considered that today’s educational
system has focused all its efforts in achieving cognitive
goals. Without any attempt to ignore or underestimate
the importance of these goals, it should be noted that
this unilateral approach is often against, mental health,
internal balance and peace for all people involved.
Emotional and Social Education
Emotional intelligence is something that can be learned.
This is why it is important for children to exercise those
skills. In this process the role of parents and educators is
very important (Goleman D, Cherniss C 2001). Modern
school and today’s educational system, as a structure, usu-
ally do not promote emotional intelligence (Barchard K
Physical-Kinetic to use body to express feelings and
ideas such as dance, body language and sport
Music recognition, production and conversion of musi-
cal forms
Interpersonal perception of moods, feelings and moti-
vation of others, cooperation and communication in a
group with others
Personal ability to self-knowledge, understanding of
moods, feelings and motivation and our ability to act
based on our knowledge
Naturalistic ability to distinguish between natural phe-
nomena of the world and their assessment.
Most educational systems seek to develop two types
of intelligence (linguistic and logical-mathematical).
Instead, education should encourage children to explore
each area of intelligence. Emotional education helps chil-
dren to gain self-awareness, confidence, empathy, self
control and the ability to assert without conflict (Reiser
SJ 1993).
Types of emotional intelligence
Emotional intelligence is defined as the ability to con-
trol someone’s wishes and to delay their fulfilment, to
regulate others’ mood, to isolate feeling from thinking,
to place you into another’s shoes and to hope. Also, it
includes a range of skills such as self-control, persistence,
zeal and ability to motivate others (Davies M et all 1998).
According to Goleman D. (1998), emotional intelligence
involves the following elements: self-awareness, empathy,
handling relationships, managing feelings, motivation.
There is no magic number for the multiplicity of human
talent, but you can sort these capabilities in five key ar-
eas:
Knowing our feelings. Conscience, recognising an emo-
tion the moment it is created, is the cornerstone of
emotional intelligence. The ability to understand and
appreciate our emotions is the key to psychological in-
sight and self understanding. While the inability to see
our real feelings, leaves us at their mercy
Controlling our emotions. To manipulate and control
our emotions so as they are appropriate at any time is
an ability built on conscience. People lacking this abili-
ty are always fighting feelings of depression, while those
who are distinguished for it can overcome setbacks and
disappointments of life more quickly
Exploration of incentives. Control of emotions so as
to serve an objective is essential to focus attention, to
find incentives, to self- possession and to creativity.
Emotional self control seems to be behind any kind of
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122 F. IOANNIDOU and V. KONS TANTIK AKI
2003). Traditional school, with its integrated educational
systems, targets primarily the students' mental develop-
ment and focuses on providing the necessary knowledge
and competencies. This educational approach neglects
the development and training of social skills and com-
munication through which an empirical system can be
achieved including: recognising and handling emotions,
communication and empathy, and social and emotional
development of children as parallel educational objec-
tives equal merit with their academic progress (Van der
Zee K et all 2002). Emotional training and education re-
fers to all skills that form emotional intelligence as part of
all emotional interactions between children-their family
and school, namely perception, expression and control of
emotions, self control, empathy, quality communication,
conflict resolution process, demanding attitude, personal
responsibility, conscience and self-acceptance (Goleman
1998). Emotional education within the family in particu-
lar, is positively affecting children’s emotional intelligence
and mental health. The first area of socialization that pro-
motes children’s’ emotional intelligence is family and in
particular their parents (Currie G 2004). Emotional edu-
cation requires learning new skills from adults (parents,
teachers), so as to be able toeducate children in social
and emotional skills.
Gottman (Gottman J 2000) proposes the following
stages of children’s emotional education:
Awareness of children’s feelings
Recognition
Hearing with empathy and confirm children’s feelings.
Help the child to name his feelings
Setting limits while helping to explore strategies for
problem solving
Recognition and Setting targets
Thoughts on possible solutions
Assessment of proposed solutions on the basis of family
values
Helping the child to choose a solution (Plomaritou V,
2006).
Children should be helped to develop emotional em-
pathy that is, to put themselves in someone else’s shoes
and understand other’s feelings into virtual or real-life
scenarios (Rudebeck 2002). Role-playing is a teaching
technique that serves this goal.
Teaching strategies
Main feature of emotional Intelligence is self knowl-
edge. It is actually, the ability to observe our feelings at
all times displayed, to recognize them, to name them and
to express them in a productive manner. Educational
strategies targeting health care professionals, are pro-
posals for training in emotional intelligence and specifi-
cally empathy. The following list should not be consid-
ered complete and it is important to remember that all
students are unique entities and that strategies that are
effective with a student may not be necessarily effective
with someone else (Stepien K, Baernstein A 2006).
Teamwork is an effective method to encourage students
to listen to other’s views and to work together to solve
problems. However, some people may have difficulty, in
terms of teamwork, and thus their participation should
not be encouraged if they are experiencing problems
Students should be actively encouraged to hear the
views and experiences of other students, examining the
causes of their views and making comments
Teachers should listen and understand their students’
views. In this way, they create feelings of acceptance to
their students, while helping them recognize how they
can develop the ability of active listening themselves. It is
certainly unlikely that someone who has developed em-
pathy knows exactly what another person feels (Lamm
C et aII 2007). However, it is important for the health
personnel to try to imagine what others are experiencing
(Fairbairn GJ 2002). The result of implementing empa-
thy is an emotional satisfaction of both the patient and
the health professional (Lesho E 2003, Smith P 1992).
Discussion
Sound management of relations is an element of
Emotional Intelligence. It is actually the ability to han-
dle our emotions and our relations in a way that leads
to harmonious coexistence. People who have Emotional
Intelligence create within their family, friends and work
safe, functional, relieving relations. They are fed by
contacting others without being subject to merge or be
captive of relations. Any relationship is for them a link
and not ‘bonds’. They also recognize others’ feelings, al-
lowing their expression, they withstand negotiation and
they can protect themselves from any ‘bad’ expressions
- behaviour feeling guilty or responsible for the way other
would handle it. Empathy is an important element of
healthcare professionals and patient communication and
is a key feature of emotional intelligence. Health profes-
sionals should be trained to effectively implement empa-
thy, in order to achieve the desired therapeutic results.
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EMPATHY AND EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE: WHAT IS IT REALLY ABOUT? 123
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... This type of emotional stability or instability is detected and controlled by each individual due to one's emotional intelligence, which is the ability of individuals to perceive emotions and reason and apply them to various extrinsic factors (Mayer et al., 2004). From another perspective, emotional intelligence is identified as the perception of personal emotions and the behaviors and actions of others (Ioannidou & Konstantikaki, 2008). It is also important to note that knowing how to recognize one's own emotions helps to discriminate good actions from bad ones (Ioannidou & Konstantikaki, 2008). ...
... From another perspective, emotional intelligence is identified as the perception of personal emotions and the behaviors and actions of others (Ioannidou & Konstantikaki, 2008). It is also important to note that knowing how to recognize one's own emotions helps to discriminate good actions from bad ones (Ioannidou & Konstantikaki, 2008). ...
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This study aimed to investigate the relationship between toxic leadership and turnover intentions and whether this relationship was moderated by emotional intelligence. The sample consisted of 202 participants working in organizations based in Portugal. The results show that toxic leadership is positively and significantly associated with turnover intentions. Regarding emotional intelligence, only the dimensions of the use of emotions and the emotions of others are positively and significantly associated with turnover intentions. As for the moderating effect, only the use of emotions and emotion regulation dimensions moderate the relationship between toxic leadership and turnover intentions. Participants with high levels of emotion use and emotion regulation, when compared to participants with low levels of emotion use and emotion regulation, found that toxic leadership was relevant in boosting their turnover intentions. It can be concluded that participants use their emotional capacities to move away from toxic environments in search of new and better working conditions.
... Recent meta-analyses show that individuals with high EI consistently perform better than their peers across various job roles [6]. High EI improves communication and conflict resolution skills [7], promotes empathy [8], and often results in more effective leadership [9]. These EI-related benefits are particularly important in Software Engineering (SE), where successful system development depends on effective teamwork and constructive interactions among diverse groups of practitioners [10]. ...
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[Background] Emotional Intelligence (EI) can impact Software Engineering (SE) outcomes through improved team communication, conflict resolution, and stress management. SE workers face increasing pressure to develop both technical and interpersonal skills, as modern software development emphasizes collaborative work and complex team interactions. Despite EI's documented importance in professional practice, SE education continues to prioritize technical knowledge over emotional and social competencies. [Objective] This paper analyzes SE students' self-perceptions of their EI after a two-month cooperative learning project, using Mayer and Salovey's four-ability model to examine how students handle emotions in collaborative development. [Method] We conducted a case study with 29 SE students organized into four squads within a project-based learning course, collecting data through questionnaires and focus groups that included brainwriting and sharing circles, then analyzing the data using descriptive statistics and open coding. [Results] Students demonstrated stronger abilities in managing their own emotions compared to interpreting others' emotional states. Despite limited formal EI training, they developed informal strategies for emotional management, including structured planning and peer support networks, which they connected to improved productivity and conflict resolution. [Conclusion] This study shows how SE students perceive EI in a collaborative learning context and provides evidence-based insights into the important role of emotional competencies in SE education.
... First was empathy. This refers to the ability to understand others, active listening and providing support (Ioannidou and Konstantikaki, 2008;Fernández-Abascal and Martín-Díaz, 2019). Second was selfawareness. ...
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Workplace emotional intelligence is the regulation of feelings and interpersonal interactions managerial practices of emotional intelligence is crucial to determining managerial policies and (as employees in universities) display of emotional intelligence and associated challenges as response to managerial practices of workplace emotional intelligence. The study utilized a qualitative design that allowed the collection of data using 20 face to face semi structured interviews of academics in non-managerial role from the Faculty of Management Science at the University of Benin, Nigeria. The analytical methods were thematic analysis and content analysis. While the thematic analysis provided themes analysis was employed to determine the challenges academics are confronted with. The thematic analysis produced sub themes, leading to five general themes, which were empathy, self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation and relationship management. The outcome of the content analysis showed that communication barrier was the most recurring challenge that confronted both male and female academics. Also, poor awareness, demotivating organizational culture and practices, poor engaging leadership style and negative emotional limitations are further presented.
... Early research identified four domains of EI: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management [115,116]. EI and empathy go hand-in-hand, as individuals with high EI usually can empathize with others, meaning they can find something within themselves that connects to what the other person might be feeling or experiencing (e.g., excitement or sadness) [117]. Both empathy and EI support individual and collective mental health as these skills help build positive interpersonal relationships, which, in turn, fosters a sense of belonging [118]. ...
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The chapter explores how digital wellness can enhance youth interpersonal skills and relationships to contribute to their well-being and community wellness. A literature review was conducted to investigate how digital wellness influences individual well-being, mainly through developing interpersonal skills, and how this may, in turn, support community well-being. The findings suggest that digital wellness is vital in enhancing youth well-being by fostering essential interpersonal skills such as emotional intelligence and empathy, addressing key developmental needs, and nurturing positive emotions. This promotion of individual well-being, in turn, promotes community well-being; youth engage with each other in more optimistic, ethical, and inclusive ways. Digital wellness should be explored further as a key skill for healthy interpersonal relationships in a digital age.
... It is often described as -putting oneself in another's shoes‖ to vicariously experience their emotions. Empathy is a vital communication skill that is frequently misunderstood and underutilized (Ioannidou & Konstantikaki, 2008). The term empathy originates from the German word Einfühlung (-in-feeling‖), coined in the 1880s by psychologist Theodor Lipps to describe the emotional appreciation of another's feelings. ...
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This study explores the associations between emotional intelligence, empathy, satisfaction with life, and conflict resolution in a sample of 300 university students (young adults) aged 18–34. Using recognized scales such as the Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale, Conflict Resolution Style Inventory, Empathy Concern Scale, and Satisfaction with Life Scale, the study found a noteworthy positive link between emotional intelligence and life satisfaction. Empathy was discovered as a partial mediator in this relationship, enhancing the effectiveness of emotional intelligence by improving emotional awareness. Moreover, conflict resolution was implied to moderate the correlation, strengthening the positive influence of emotional intelligence on life satisfaction. The results emphasize the vital role of emotional intelligence in improving life satisfaction through its effect on both empathy and conflict resolution.
... Robot empathy in the field of Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) refers to the ability of a robot to understand and respond to the experiences, thoughts, and emotions of humans [15,16]. According to Pepito et al. [17], empathy is necessary for human-machine interaction to continue progressing. ...
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This essay explores a set of attitudes and capacities that I describe as eudaimonist virtues of argumentation. These include an ability to enter into alternative viewpoints, a genuine desire to persuade rather than merely to seem clever, an understanding of human nature and motives, and a recognition that much of what matters most is hard to define and impossible to measure. What makes these attitudes and capacities eudaimonist virtues rather than merely epistemic virtues is that they make possible a way of arguing which is conducive not just to knowledge and truth but to also thriving more broadly. This way of arguing, rooted in empathetic engagement, is conducive to thriving because it calls upon and thus helps nurture forms of insight that can help us live rich and full lives both as individuals and in community.
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The current global security environment is unstable, marked by ambiguity and countless uncertainties, with trends indicating that the geopolitical context will become increasingly insecure and volatile. In such a challenging environment, military leaders play an important role in ensuring stability, guaranteeing territorial security and protecting citizens. More than ever, the role of the military leader in both the military organisation and society has reached an unprecedented level of complexity. To successfully meet the challenges of the modern battlespace, military leaders must train and develop a very diverse and complex set of competences and attributes. By doing so, the leader can rapidly gain the trust and commitment of subordinates, managing to motivate and lead them effectively in any context. This article aims to raise awareness and understanding of the critical role of positive personal example in modern military leadership.
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The concept of empathy lies amid much confusion This analysis addresses that confusion using Walker and Avant's model of concept analysis, and looks at what empathy is is it trait or state, is it dynamic or static, and how is it recognized and measured' Implications of these findings are discussed, limitations of the study are acknowledged and areas for further work suggested
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Thirteen essays, five not previously published, on the arts. These are philosophical essays, mostly concerned with the ways in which theories about mind and language can contribute to our understanding of art. Some explore the challenges posed by art to the empirical sciences of mind – linguistics and pragmatics, psychology and anthropology. Particular problems confronted include: the nature of literary works, genres, and fictional characters; whether there is coherent and useful concept of documentary; whether fiction can tell us anything interesting about time; what pragmatics tells us about interpretation; the prospects for cognitive film theory; the role of empathy in our engagement with fiction; the role of the unreliable narrator; the relations between children's pretend play and their mind reading skills; how we should decide whether animals engage in pretence; what biological and cultural evolution can tell us about the development of art.
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Emotional intelligence is a type of social intelligence that involves the ability to monitor one's own and others' emotions, to discriminate among them, and to use the information to guide one's thinking and actions (Salovey & Mayer, 1990). We discuss (a) whether intelligence is an appropriate metaphor for the construct, and (b) the abilities and mechanisms that may underlie emotional intelligence. © 1993.
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The psychometric properties of the self-report emotional intelligence (EI) measured by Schutte et al. (1998) [Schutte, N. S., Malouff, J. M., Hall, L. E., Haggerty, D. J., Cooper, J. T., Golden, C. J., & Dornheim, L. (1998). Development and validation of a measure of emotional intelligence. Personality and Individual Differences, 25, 167–177] are scrutinized and several weaknesses are identified. It is argued that by virtue of the construction strategy adopted by Schutte et al. (1998) the test cannot be measuring a general EI factor and furthermore that it has not been successfully mapped onto Salovey and Mayer's (1990) [Salovey, P., & Mayer, J. D. (1990). Emotional intelligence. Imagination, Cognition and Personality, 9, 185–211] EI model. It is also shown via confirmatory factor analysis that the test is not unifactorial. A theoretical distinction between trait and information-processing EI is proposed. Trait EI appertains to the greater personality realm whereas information-processing EI is an attempt to chart new territory in the field of human mental ability.
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Some authors have claimed that emotional intelligence predicts success at work, at school, and in relationships, as well as or better than IQ. Little research exists to support or refute this claim at present. In this study, the ability of emotional intelligence to predict academic achievement was examined in a sample of undergraduate psychology students, using year-end grades as the criterion. The predictive validity of emotional intelligence was compared with the predictive validity of traditional cognitive abilities and the Big Five dimensions of personality. In addition, the incremental predictive validity of each of these three domains was assessed. In this setting, only some measures of Emotional Intelligence predicted academic success, and none of these measures showed incremental predictive validity for academic success over and above cognitive and personality variables. It may be that the overlap between many emotional intelligence measures and traditional measures of intelligence and personality limits their incremental predictive validity in this context.
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The present study examines the relationship of self- and other ratings of emotional intelligence with academic intelligence and personality, as well as the incremental validity of emotional intelligence beyond academic intelligence and personality in predicting academic and social success. A sample of 116 students filled in measures for emotional and academic intelligence, the Big Five, and indicators of social and academic success. Moreover, other ratings were obtained from four different raters on emotional intelligence and social success. Factor analysis revealed three emotional intelligence dimensions that were labelled as ‘Empathy’, ‘Autonomy’, and ‘Emotional Control’. Little evidence was found for a relationship between emotional and academic intelligence. Academic intelligence was low and inconsistently related to emotional intelligence, revealing both negative and positive interrelations. Strong relationships were found of the emotional intelligence dimensions with the Big Five, particularly with Extraversion and Emotional Stability. Interestingly, the emotional intelligence dimensions were able to predict both academic and social success above traditional indicators of academic intelligence and personality. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.