Roundtable to Focus on Emotional Intelligence

03/26/2012 

Students with a higher awareness of their emotions have been proven to have a better quality of relationships and a lower absentee rate than those with a lower emotional intelligence (EI), said Lesley Teitelbaum, a psychologist and member of the Psychology Department at SUNY Cortland.

Teitelbaum, who also asserts that EI can reduce health risks, will explain her theories on Thursday, April 5, during a community roundtable at SUNY Cortland.

“Unexpressed anger and emotion can be very dangerous to cardiovascular health,” said Teitelbaum, who will present “Emotional Intelligence: The Role of Mindfulness,” at 8 a.m. in the Park Center Hall of Fame Room.

Presented by the President’s Office and the Field Experience and School Partnerships Office, this event is free and open to the public. A question-and-answer period will follow. Refreshments will precede the lecture at 7:45 a.m.

EI, according to Teitelbaum, is the ability to identify and express feelings and communicate effectively to build positive relationships.

“Our society doesn’t place as much value on emotional awareness and sharing innermost thoughts,” Teitelbaum said.

She will share her ideas about how mindfulness, a simple and effective meditative technique, can be used to enhance several aspects of EI.

Teitelbaum will discuss the five dimensions of EI, including self-awareness, empathy, emotional regulation, self-motivation and relationships.

“Learning emotional intelligence could be a wakeup call for society,” Teitelbaum said. “With it, we could have a more productive and peaceful society.”

EI may help to manage, understand and explain emotions, she said. Unlike an IQ, one’s EI can be learned, and therefore developed and improved.

“Emotional intelligence is responsive to interventions in a way that an IQ is not,” Teitelbaum said when comparing academic intelligence to emotional intelligence.

“I hope that I can begin to create emotional awareness,” said Teitelbaum. “I want to introduce the notion of mindfulness and its role in increasing emotional intelligence and well-being.”

Public parking is available in the Park Center lot during the roundtable. The Community Roundtable series provides programs on diverse intellectual, regional and cultural topics of interest to College faculty, staff and community members. The roundtables will be held on the first Thursday of the month in April and May.

For more information, contact the Field Experience and School Partnerships Office at (607) 753-4214.