Discussion: Social and Emotional Intelligence

What ideas or phrases come to mind when you hear the term intelligence? Prior to the current emphasis on emotional and social intelligence, individuals tended to associate intelligence with one measurement: intelligence quotient or the IQ. While the IQ focuses on intellectual abilities, emotional intelligence focuses on an individual's awareness of his or her feelings and the feelings of others, and social intelligence focuses on an individual's interpersonal skills (Zastrow & Kirst-Ashman, 2016, pp. 506-509).

To prepare for this Discussion, read "Working With People With Disabilities: The Case of Andres" on pages 28–31 in Social Work Case Studies: Foundation Year. Consider what you have learned about social and emotional intelligence in this week's resources as well as what you learn about the person and environment as it relates to young and middle adulthood.

By Day 3

Post a Discussion that includes the following:

• 1. An explanation of how social and emotional intelligence are related to cultural factors
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• 2. An explanation about how you, as a social worker, might apply the concepts of emotional and/or social intelligence to the case of Andres
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• 3. An explanation of how social workers, in general, might apply social and emotional intelligence to social work practice. (Include a specific example in the explanation.)

Learning Resources

Required Readings

Plummer, S. -B., Makris, S., & Brocksen, S. M. (Eds.). (2014). Social work case studies: Foundation year. Baltimore, MD: Laureate International Universities Publishing. [Vital Source e-reader].
"Working With People With Disabilities: The Case of Andres" (pp. 28-31)

Zastrow, C. H., & Kirst-Ashman, K. K. (2016). Understanding human behavior and the social environment (10th ed.). Boston, MA:  Cengage Learning.
Chapter 11, "Psychological Aspects of Young and Middle Adulthood" (pp. 499-548)

Optional Resources

Use the link below to access the MSW home page, which provides resources for your social work program.
MSW home page

Chapman, B. P., & Hayslip, B. (2006). Emotional intelligence in young and middle adulthood: Cross-sectional analysis of latent structure and means. Psychology and Aging, 21(2), 411–418.

Freund, A. M., & Ritter, J. O. (2009). Midlife crisis: A debate. Gerontology, 55(5), 582–591.

Orth, U., Trzesniewski, K. H., & Robins, R. W. (2010). Self-esteem development from young adulthood to old age: A cohort-sequential longitudinal study. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 98(4), 645–658.

van Aken, M. A. G., Denissen, J. J. A., Branje, S. J. T., Dubas, J. S., & Goossens, L. (2006). Midlife concerns and short-term personality change in middle adulthood. European Journal of Personality, 20(6), 497–513.