EQ vs IQ - Know The Difference

EQ vs IQ - Know The Difference - Intelligence has been the topic of wonder and debate for many centuries. Philosophers have long labored to define it, scientists to measure it, and researchers to further our understanding of human intelligence. In our day and age, we use Intelligence Quotient (IQ) tests to measure a person’s knowledge and capacity to reason, learn, and solve problems. But IQ scores don’t always give us the complete picture, nor are they the most reliable predictor of success in school and career performance.

In recent years, the idea of emotional intelligence has come up as another way to define intelligence. It is the set of abilities that allow us to regulate emotions, form lasting relationships, and navigate through the social milieu to learn and solve problems. Though there are EQ tests out there, many still cling to the primacy of the IQ test as the better of the two. But does one form of intelligence trump the other? This has spurred the big EQ vs IQ debate with one group advocating for one form of intelligence over the other when it comes to considering which is the primary determinant of success. In this article, we take a look at two forms of intelligence, how they’re measured, and where the difference between EQ and IQ lie.

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What Is The Difference Between EQ vs IQ?

In order to get to the heart of the EQ vs IQ debate, it is important to consider the two in some detail first.

Intelligence Quotient

IQ is your general intellectual ability. Traditionally, it involves one’s abilities to reason, think logically, one’s math skills, abstract thinking, as well as one’s short-term memory. IQ can also predict general knowledge scores as well, even after accounting for age differences and personality traits. Here is how your IQ level influences your abilities to:

Learn and understand - Those who have high IQ tend to learn and make connections faster than those with low IQ. Therefore, if it takes a student with an IQ of 70 to learn something in a week, chances are that those with a higher IQ (say, 120) will manage it in a shorter period of time.

Solve problems - Problem-solving involves a lot of logical and abstract thinking, both of which are reliably predicted by IQ scores. An intelligence that is sharp and quick-witted is a marker of strong cognitive skills that facilitate the complexities of problem-solving.

Verbal and Maths skills - Complete IQ assessments include verbal and math-related skills. Studies have found that those who are verbally gifted tend to do be above average in quantitative reasoning as well.

Working or short-term memory - Short-term memory is what allows us to hold different items in the head without necessarily having to remember them long-term. This could be your grocery shopping list, a list of phone numbers, or the points of a presentation. The more items you can keep in your head, the better you’re able to work with them without having to refer to them again and again. This mental acuity is well reflected in IQ scores that are positively related to one’s IQ level.

Worldly knowledge - Because of the cumulative effects of an intelligent mind, one tends to learn facts and information about the world much faster. This explains why many intelligent people also score high in general knowledge.

Ever since the development of intelligence tests, such as the Stanford-Binet test, IQ has been considered the gold standard to measure how well a person might fare at school and in the workplace. But, perhaps more importantly, IQ scores are used to identify students that are exceptional to the norm, that is, students that are either highly intelligent or have learning disabilities.

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Emotional Quotient

EQ, on the other hand, is a fairly new concept that has emerged in recent years. It describes another set of skills that we use on a daily basis which provide a more holistic view of human intelligence. These include our ability to:

Regulate our emotions - One’s EQ level indicates how well one can identify and control one’s emotions. Also sometimes referred to as an ‘intrapersonal skill’, being sensitive to one’s feelings and understanding the emotional states takes a different form of intelligence and problem-solving ability, which is what being emotionally intelligent means.

Perceive how others feel - Having the sensitivity to understand one’s emotional states also leads to a better perception of what other people are feeling. This is a soft skill that is amongst the most useful skills that one can develop for all areas of life, and which makes up one’s emotional intelligence.

Use emotions to facilitate social interactions - Our emotional intelligence is what enables us to understand the situation or to ‘read the room’. This intuitive understanding helps us manage social interactions, be it with friends, at school, or in life in general, motivate others towards a common goal, and work through conflicts when they arise.

Empathise - Emotional intelligence also allows us to put ourselves in someone else’s shoes and feel how they are feeling. This improves one’s relationships with others and develops long-lasting bonds.

Being gregarious creatures, it is evident how important emotional intelligence is when it comes to dealing with other people, be it in school, at work, or in other areas of life. As such, when it comes to discussing emotional intelligence vs IQ, many experts, such as Daniel Goleman in his 1995 book Emotional Intelligence posits EQ to be as important as IQ as an indicator of success. Those who have a high EQ tend to do good in academics, their professions, social and interpersonal relationships, are good leaders and mediators when facilitating social interactions, and because they can regulate their emotions, know how to stay intrinsically motivated when working alone.

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EQ vs IQ: Which One Is More Important?

Even though people may want to consider one form of intelligence more important than the other, the truth about the emotional intelligence vs intellectual intelligence debate may actually lie somewhere in the middle.

Contrary to popular belief, having a high IQ doesn’t guarantee success in life; there are various other factors that are just as important. Things such as conscientiousness, or how hard you work, your social and economic standing, and many other factors have a role to play as well. IQ scores may be positively related to how far one can get in life, but it isn’t always a reliable marker of success. But neither is EQ when taken by itself. The combination of the two, however, provides a more complete picture.

Once we abandon the factious views taken in emotional intelligence vs intellectual intelligence discussions, we can better appreciate the amalgam of the two forms of intelligence in us. Where high IQ scores are linked to better academic performance, job performance, and even high salaries, emotional intelligence is linked to fulfilment, better relationships, and the ability to handle stress. This is why it is important to consider both types of intelligence and look to develop them to increase the odds of success in different areas of life.

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EQ vs IQ: Is It Possible To Increase Your IQ And EQ?

Though there are some researchers that believe that IQ can be increased, the general scientific consensus is in the negative. For all intents and purposes, IQ is fixed and there is no accurate way to tell whether general intelligence can increase with an intervention. Nevertheless, there are a few strategies to keep yourself sharp over the years. Working on problem-solving skills, math puzzles, reading research papers, playing chess and the like are a few ways to engage your intellect and give it practice. Learning a new language or an instrument are also ways to develop new connections in your brain and keep atrophy from setting in.

Emotional intelligence, on the other hand, is something that you can definitely work to improve. Being social animals that we are, we have the innate ability to connect with others, empathise with them, learn to be more self-aware and regulate our emotions. This can be achieved by working on one’s interpersonal skills, intrapersonal skills, thinking positively, motivating each other, and learning to see things from others’ perspectives. All this has been proven, especially in students, to increase attendance and school performance while reducing dropout rates and disciplinary issues.

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At the end of the day, emotional intelligence vs IQ will always be a moot topic of discussion. Success in life is never dependent on a singular factor. In school, work, and in life, both emotional and intellectual intelligence play an equal role. So, rather than concentrating on one or the other, it is important to take a balanced approach, for the biggest benefit is in learning how to improve one’s skills. We hope you now have a better understanding of what is EQ vs IQ and how the two exemplify our innate intelligence.

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