Emotional intelligence (EI) and the gifted

Abstract

This chapter examines the nexus of relations between the highly visible and popular, yet controversial, concept of emotional intelligence (EI) and gifted students. We begin by a brief discussion of the elusive EI construct and its practical utility. We then broadly outline the relationship between EI and both high ability and classroom achievement. We then zoom in on more direct research focusing on EI in gifted vs. non-identified students. We conclude by discussing training of EI for gifted students and present a number of tentative guidelines and considerations for program development in the emotional domain.