IQ versus EI

Widespread use of the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale and other measurement tests of intelligence quotient have been in place in the United States since World War I. Such testing is done in schools and in the military to identify academic strengths and the areas of those strengths. IQ measurements are accepted as reliable predictors of academic performance. Unfortunately, the test scores are also used to label and categorize young students, dividing them into those who are expected to excel and those who are expected to struggle. Goleman and other proponents of emotional intelligence argue that IQ testing fails to measure the wealth of skills that are not taught in the classroom. Aptitudes in mechanics, spatial capacity (shown in architects), kinesthetic ability (shown in dancers and athletes), and interpersonal skills (shown in leaders) are devalued and ignored in IQ testing. Measuring academic skills such as mathematical ability and...