View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. In a study by psychologist Martin Seligman, salesmen who were optimists sold how much more insurance in their first two years on the job than did pessimists?

2. Emotions, like instincts, have helped humans survive by doing what, according to the author in Part One: Chapter 1, “What Are Emotions For?”

3. Worriers believe they are planning ahead to ward off danger, but in fact, the act of worrying prevents them from what, according to the author?

4. Psychologists Peter Salovey and John Mayer define emotional intelligence into five categories. What is the first category?

5. What does “IQ” stand for?

Short Essay Questions

1. What are the purposes of the left and right pre-frontal lobes in the brain?

2. Psychologist John Mayer, of the University of New Hampshire, names three styles of handling one's emotions. How are these described in Part Two: Chapter 4, “Know Thyself”?

3. How does researcher Paul Ekman describe his three “display rules” for emotions in Part Two: Chapter 8, “The Social Arts”?

4. What are the purposes of emotions? How have they helped human survival, according to the author in Part One: Chapter 1, “What Are Emotions For?”

5. What test did Walter Mischel devise in the 1960s? How is the test described in Part Two: Chapter 6, “The Master Aptitude”?

6. How is alexithymia defined in Part Two: Chapter 4, “Know Thyself”? Who coined this term?

7. How does the author compare IQ and EI in Part Two: Chapter 3, “When Smart Is Dumb”?

8. What four interpersonal intelligence components make up charisma, according to the author in Part Two: Chapter 8, “The Social Arts”? Who defined these components?

9. What did William Pithers discover about empathy in psychopaths, according to the author in Part Two: Chapter 7, “The Roots of Empathy”?

10. What did Daniel Stern term the process of reinforcing empathy in children? How is this defined in Part Two: Chapter 7, “The Roots of Empathy”?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe and analyze the relationship between psychopathic individuals and empathy. How does William Pithers suggest psychopaths can learn empathy? What examples does he use? Are there opposing viewpoints to his findings?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the concept of optimism and its impact on emotional intelligence. How does optimism affect human health? Can optimism ever be a “bad” thing? Can a person learn skills to become optimistic?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the work of Joseph LeDoux and Dr. Antonio Damasio. What is the specialization of each of these individuals? What discoveries did each make regarding the amygdala? How does Dr. Damasio describe the process of the amygdala in an emotional hijacking?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 832 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample