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World Applied Sciences Journal 15 (4): 555-561, 2011

ISSN 1818-4952

IDOSI Publications, 2011

Corresponding Author: Marof Redzuan, Department of Social and Development Science, Faculty of Human Ecology,

University Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdand Selangor, Malaysia.

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The Relationship Between Gender and Emotional Intelligence

Fataneh Naghavi, Marof Redzuan

Faculty of Human Ecology, University Putra Malaysia Serdang 43400, Malaysia

Abstract: The article reviews empirical studies which emphasized on the relation between gender and emotional

intelligence. Emotional quotient (EQ) is a set of abilities such as conception, emotion appraisal and expression,

emotion management and regulation and emotion utilization of emotion. As emotional intelligence is acquisitive

and of social origin, parents and children thus expose their emotions in an expressive way to one another, either

consciously or unconsciously in their interactions. It seems that further to individual differences of boy and

girl, the expectations of society and people around, especially parents, are different in terms of childrens

sexuality. Culturally, girls are mostly expected to be more expressive of feelings, whereas abstaining from

feelings expression in boys is strengthened as a manly model. The research showed that emotional intelligence

is meaningful associated with gender differences. The article is divided into several sections. The review is

started with the definition of emotional intelligence and this is followed by a review on the emotional

intelligence, as well as the effects and interaction of gender differences. Then, an overview of the paper is

included a demonstration of the influence of gender differences on emotional intelligence is also given. Finally,

as conclusion it is important to realize that girls are higher than boys in emotional intelligence, but high

emotional intelligence in boys is a better predictor for achievement.

Key words: Emotional intelligence Emotional quotient Gender Early adolescence

INTRODACTION The core and basis of psychology and one can

Recognition and emotion have always been focused perturbations like fear, anxiety, depression and alexithymia

on in philosophy and later in psychological research. One [2].century before the Christ, Pablilius stated: rule over your Freud [3] used free association and dream

feelings and do not let your feelings rule over you. For interpretation in his treatments and helped patients restate

a very long period of time, emotions were regarded as their thoughts and desires by providing an ambience free

non-logical modes which were imperfect and confused. of the judgment and appraisal of wisdom.

Some research even indicates that emotion release is not This insight towards behavior is not only intellectual,

valuable without recognition processing. Similarly, mental but also a correcting emotional experience. This new

ruminating as to negative emotions causes depression to experience is both the change center and the main factor

increase. However, is uncontrolled emotion release and of psychotherapy. The aim of psychoanalysis is

rumination the only ways of using emotions [1]. emotional reconciliation and insight creation; insight is a

Today, absolute recognition focus in mans method to acquire emotional reconciliation. In the course

psychological studies has been replaced by emotion and of psychoanalysis, primary emphasis is on the

recognition influence and role in his/her psychical health clarification of emotions and feelings. Similarly, Parker [4]and development [1]. Emotional Recognizing emotions also emphasizes consciousness in psychoanalysis.

and feelings is a basis and radical for emotional Gestalt-therapy techniques are defined by two behavioral

intelligence [5]. intelligence is conceptualized to axes, namely rules and designs. In particular, rules are

incorporate recognition and emotion or intellectual effective instruments to integrate the thought and feeling

emotion. Although psychological systems have of references, while designs are activities carried out by

negatively Looked into emotions, the attention given to references to recognize different poles of their personality

emotions and feelings can be regarded. and dealing with facts [5].

therefore look for mental disturbances roots in emotional

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Among the pioneers of family treatment, Virginia Stair information exchange among them, emotional protection

was one who had placed the highest emphasis on to one another and the relationships of the family

feelings in the family. In the same vein, she paid attention members with outsiders may also influence the childrens

on the familys daily work and emotional experiences. At emotional intelligence. This paper is a literature review of

the same time, she also persuaded family members to several past research conducted on the role of familydescribe their feelings and notice both facial and non- functioning in emotional intelligence.

verbal states of one another [6]. In the other hand, gender differences in emotion

Considering the above information, it seems that one regulation, although small on average, have been

of the aims of psychology, consultation and reported. Compared to boys, girls use more emotion

psychoanalysis is the development of patients emotional regulation strategies [10, 11], express their emotions more

intelligence. Considering the orientation of the recent often [12] and experience their emotions more intensely

studies in the identification and role of emotional [13, 14].

intelligence, as a concept different from personality and

emotional quotient (EQ), a clear and comprehensive WHAT IS EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE?

recognition of this structure is therefore achieved when

the familys role in development and its relation with Emotion is resulted from interaction between

emotional intelligence is specified. physiological stimulation and appraisal of situationUnless a society contains sound families, it cannot identification. When there is physiological stimulation, it

be claimed as healthy. On the other hand, family is a is the stimuli, conditions and signs surrounding the

consequent or reflection of the whole society and its individual that specify which emotional state he/she will

significant roles are obviously to transfer values and experience. Emotions are functional and social and

cultural and credence heritage by word-of-mouth, while emotional experiences inside us to others through

maintaining kinship relations, raising and training creating distinctive facial and body states [15]. Mayer and

generations, supplying basic human needs, as well as Salovey [16] indicate that emotional intelligence is the

creating emotional and psychic balance among the ability to percept precisely, appraise and express emotions

members [7]. Nonetheless, the internal procedures of the of ones own and others access and generate feelings

people are not entirely internal; they are rather influenced when they facilitate thinking, as well as regulate and

by external factors which mutually affect each other. utilize emotions in problem solving [17].

The family has the highest effect on the individuals The history of research on intelligence has made itand it can mould their behaviors at any moment. A clear that the reason for peoples success in their personal

behavior which is created in relation to other family and occupational life is not merely EQ. Years before that,

members is not limited to a normal agreeable behavior. Throndike [18] presented a model of intelligence which

The family can form abnormal behaviors, too [8]. included not only the factors of traditional intelligence,

The role of a familys performance in shaping an but also the factor that he called as social intelligence.

individuals behaviors, personality and development of He defined it as the ability to understand and management

his different talents is important. Researchers studying of wise action and behaviour in human relations.

behavioral sciences call a suitable environment an orchard Throndikes definition of social intelligence was a

and an unsuitable environment, a cemetery of talents. Do behavioral and cognitive ability and it implied that firstly,

children whose parents provide suitable environments for mans conception and management abilities are

them have higher emotional intelligence? Do children intellectual abilities and secondly, such abilities are

whose parents show their emotions to each other and to distinct from the classic, abstract and mechanical-

their kids improperly not understand each other, or the objective aspects of intelligence. Since then, much

opposite sides emotions, behave in the same way?. attention has been paid on the concept of social

In general, childrens situation in a family (e.g. their intelligence. For years, the principal question has been

gender and number, birth order, relation with their age that whether an empirically unique and solid limit for

group or other relatives) and cultural and economic social intelligence can be specified and whether it is only

factors influence the formation of their personality [9]. a function of a more general abstract intelligence. A lot of

In addition, the treatment by parents to their children studies have been carried out to separate educational-

and how they react to their interests and activities, as well scientific intelligence from social intelligence, but only a

as kids treatment to one another, emotion and little progress has been made [19, 20]. According to Ford

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and Tisak [20] most of such studies were not successful Developmental criterion: emotional intelligence

due to two reasons; first, defining social intelligence is develops along with age and experience from

difficult a different task and different researchers have childhood to adulthood [30, 31]. Considering the

presented different definitions, whereas other definitions evolutional aspects of emotional intelligence, three

consider it a multi-dimensional structure. The second mental abilities of adolescents are significant; namelyproblem lies in the method to be used to measure social (a) conception, appraisal and expression of emotion,

intelligence so that it is justifiable from psychometric (i.e. the ability to identify and understand ones and

point of view. others emotions based on situational and

Considering such problems in relation to the concept expressional cues, emotional meanings of which are

of social intelligence, analyses tended to use other in accordance with culture); (b) emotions regulation

conceptualization and non-intellectual factors and management and ones ability to compatibly

measurement methods. Another option was the concept dealing with opposite or negative emotions using

of emotional intelligence which was introduced by Mayer self-regulation methods that improve the extent or

and Salovey [21] and later developed by Goleman [22]. duration of such emotions, the ability to create joyful

This concept originated form Wakslers general non- conditions for others, as well as concealing ones

intellective factors thought (1940, 1942). Later, Leeper [23] negative emotions to avoid harming others personal

applied this concept and assumed that emotional feelings [32], (c) emotion utilization, i.e. the ability tothoughts were a part of logical intelligence and played a plan flexibly and use emotions in problem-solving

role in logical and general intelligence. For about forty [21].

years, nothing else was done regarding emotional

intelligence until Gardner [24] introduced his Multiple GENDER AND EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

Intelligence theory, which incorporating the cognitive

aspects of intelligence. Both the cognitive and emotional A 20-year research on interactions between emotion

aspects of intelligence are incorporated in Gardners and cognition has created a basis for the recent works on

theory. This theory includes seven independent kinds of emotional intelligence. The concept of emotional

intelligence; one is personal intelligence that is divided intelligence, which was first introduced by Salovey and

into intrapersonal intelligence knowledge of ones Mayer [21], is a strong basis to study individual

internal feelings and events and interpersonal intelligence differences, particularly on how reasoning is done by

- the ability to specify others reactions, needs, emotions feelings and about feelings. A recently developed

and purposes [25]. orientation has shifted its focus from emotional

Emotional intelligence is a form of social intelligence intelligence concept as a property or trait [30, 33] to

[21] and a suitable predictor of general functioning and conceptualization of capabilities in emotional intelligence

particular areas such as occupational performance [26, 27], [34, 35].

including ones ability to manage his/her and others According to this orientation, emotional intelligence

feelings and emotions, distinguish between them and use is ones ability to comprehend, express, understand,

such information to direct ones thinking and practice apply and manage emotions in oneself and others.

[21]. Moreover, emotional intelligence, also, has the Considering the developmental aspects of emotional

scientific features of a rational intelligence [28] as intelligence, three features of mental capabilities in

elaborated: adolescents take special importance; these are (1)

Conceptual criterion: emotional intelligence reflects emotion regulation and management, (3) emotion

mental functioning, not the salient methods of utilization [32]. Children learn to express, comprehend,

behaving or sagacity-free skills, or self-respect only. understand and regulate emotions by exchanging their

In other words, it measures abilities related to emotions with parents and coevals. Some of them take

emotion [29, 21]. control of their own and others emotions more skillfully

Correlation criterion: emotional intelligence includes due to big differences in individual abilities and their

a set of abilities which are dependant and related to social world. On the other hand, some children lack

other mental skills, described by other kinds of adequate skills to interpret emotions for achievement in

proved intelligence [29, 21]. the social world [36].

comprehension, appraisal and emotion expression, (2)

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In all cultures, family is the center of the formation of emotions and shocks so that they can correctly appraise,

individuals identity. As indicated by Minuchin [37], the understand, express and use emotions in their thinking

basis of humans identity comprises two foundations; the and practice. Therefore, emotional intelligence is a

feeling of belongingness and the feeling of distinction protecting factor against social damages and based on

or to be separated. Childrens externalization with the relevant research, it is also associated with successfulfamily is the source that creates belongingness. marriage, life satisfaction, as well as job and academic

Everybody is a part of a family and carries his/her name, achievements [27, 21].

culture and properties. Meanwhile, everyone has the Meanwhile, more recent findings indicate that

feeling of being distinct from others. This feeling is appropriate emotional raise of children is an important

created by participating in different sub-sets (systems) of factor which affects their future achievements in different

the family and connecting to the outside world. Therefore, fields [27]. Emotional intelligence enables an individual to

nobody may be defined separately from their family which correctly exhibit suitable amount of different emotions

is the constituting factor of their personality. such as rage, fear, love, happiness, etc. in his/her

Numerous studies have shown that parents behavior proportional to the situations and time.

interaction with their children, stringent discipline, moreover, it enables them to know about others emotions

unanimity, carelessness, or sincerity have deep and and react accordingly [27, 34].

continuous consequences in their emotional life and Kafetsios [5] studied hypotheses about the relationprovide the ground for their achievement or failure in between attachment orientation and emotional intelligence

different fields of life. Meanwhile, more recent findings in a research titled Attachment and emotional

indicate that appropriate emotional raise of children is an intelligence power during lifetime. The statistical

important factor which affects their future achievements universe included 239 mature people between 19 to 66

in different fields [27]. Emotional intelligence enables an years old who completed Mayer, Salovey, Carusos

individual to correctly exhibit suitable amount of different Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT V2) and filled out

emotions such as rage, fear, love, happiness, etc. in the relations questionnaire. The findings indicated that

his/her behavior proportional to the situations and time. secure attachment had correlation with all subscales

Moreover, it enables them to know about others (except for emotion conception) and the overall score of

emotions and react accordingly [27, 34]. emotional intelligence. Contrary to what was expected,

Adolescence is a sensitive period of ones life when rejecting attachment had a positive relation with the

he/she begins investigating their surroundings and seeks ability of emotion conception. Also, the results of

to establish relationship with. Adolescents relations with emotional intelligence abilities between different sexual

their parents become deranged and they should take some and age groups showed a meaningful difference. Elder

distance from sisters and brothers sub-system and find participants got higher score of the emotional intelligence

responsibilities and independence proportional to their fork (facilitation, conception, management) and females

age. Thus, parental sub-system relationship with them got higher scores of emotion conception and aberration

should change from parents-child to parents-young adult than males.

mode [37]. An important task during growth for children Brudy and Hall [39] say, in their study titled

and adolescents is therefore to learn expression or Sexuality and emotion, that boys and girls learn

instrument, recognize and comprehend emotional states different lessons in controlling their emotions. Parents

accurately. This is particularly because they benefit from mostly talk to their daughters, rather than sons, about

emotional knowledge as a guide in the social world [36]. emotions (except for anger). Compared to sons, parents

In adolescence period, feelings and emotions give more information about feelings to their daughters.

conduct individuals in the course of life, so the Since girls get mastery over language faster than boys

adolescents attention and tendency to things outside of this causes them to be more experienced in precisely

home and conflicts between them and their parents in this expressing their feelings and more skillful in using words

period provide the ground for the influences inflicted by to name emotional reactions and replace words for

social damages. If the family fulfils its roles and tasks physical reactions than boys. Boys, for whom emotions

correctly and enjoys required efficiency, it can protect its expression has not been emphasized, are probably

members against external damages. On the contrary, unaware of their and others emotional states to a large

emotional intelligence can help adolescents to identify extent [36].

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Karniz and Karniz [37] said that in the age of 10 the has high structure validity and admissibility in

percentage of girls who show open aggression, like boys, adolescents society. Factor analysis and factors internal

when they are angry is almost equal. But in the age of 13 correlation methods were used together to assess the

there is a meaningful difference between the two sexes. admissibility of the scale structure. The results of factor

Compared with boys, girls get more skill in artistic analysis by using main constituents analyzing methodaggressive techniques such as collective banning, suggested three factors: emotion regulation, emotion

revengeful gossiping and indirect avenging [37]. appraisal and expression and emotion utilization. Also, the

Bracket, Mayer, Warner [21] studied emotional girls had higher scores than the boys in overall emotional

intelligence and its relation with daily behaviors. Criterion intelligence (P

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