EQ Vs IQ
Emotional Intelligence is not new; however it is described as the new yard stick to measure a person’s success, along with their IQ and the skills they have developed over time.
The IQ / EQ relationship
IQ is set; it peaks when a person is 17 and remains constant throughout adulthood and decreases during old age.
EQ is not fixed; Emotional Intelligence and emotional skills develop over time, they change throughout life and most importantly they can be improved through training and remedial programs as well as therapeutic techniques. This fact supports the argument of the value of contributions made by older people in the workplace.
However, intellectual intelligence (IQ) is usually less important in determining how successful we are than emotional intelligence (EQ). We all know people who are academically brilliant and yet are socially inept and unsuccessful. What they are missing is emotional intelligence.
IQ measuring has existed for much longer than EQ measuring. The first modern IQ test was developed by Alfred Binet in the early 20th century. Since then, many modifications on intelligence quotient testing have been made. Currently an IQ test involves a set of standardized questions for which one receives a score, similar to EQ tests.
In 1905, two French psychologists Alfred Binet and Theodore Simon developed the first formal intelligence test specifically to “weed out the feeble minded children” who would not benefit from the publicly funded education system. It was not until the 1940s that David Wechsler, one of the fathers of IQ testing in the US, urged that the “non-intellective aspects of general intelligence be included in any complete admissible measurement.
While the IQ can measure concepts like logical reasoning, word knowledge and math skills, many feel it is not adequate in measuring creative abilities or emotional abilities. In fact, some with high IQs do not seem to be particularly good at maintaining relationships and may appear socially awkward at best.
For example IQ measurements on most people with autism are typically very high, yet it is well known that these children are burdened by their inability to communicate in other ways.