Emotional Literacy

Like Emotional Intelligence (EI), ‘Emotional Literacy' is a term which is being used more widely in mainstream society and particularly in relation to education for children. And like EI there are different definitions and applications of this term. The following are a few definitions from Emotional Literacy organisations:

"the practice of interacting with others in ways that build understanding of our own and others' emotions, then using this understanding to inform our actions" from antidote

"the degree to which we are able to recognize, understand, handle and appropriately express our emotions" from national emotional literacy interest group

“the ability to recognize, understand and appropriately express our emotions" from the Emotional Literacy Campaign

However, many of the definitions of emotional literacy do not seem distinct from some of the definitions of emotional intelligence i.e. mixed models of emotional intelligence (see emotional intelligence). Interstingly, Daniel Goleman was even going to call his first book 'Emotional Literacy' until he came across the the term Emotional Intelligence in an academic article (see here) and called it 'Emotional Intelligence'. There is therefore confusion around whether emotional intelligence and emotional literacy are in fact the same concept but by different names. Although, emotional literacy is not synonymous with an ability-based model of EI which meets the traditional standards for a intelligence.

By conceptualising emotional literacy in the same vain as EI it becomes indistinct from EI (see EI). It is important for terms to be distinct so the application of these terms can be used in a consistent manner, can be evaluated, and is clear what is being referred to in any communication. The danger of loosely defining emotional literacy is that benefits or uses 'emotional literacy' as an idea may be exaggerated, may belong to other aspects of human functioning or may even be fabricated without a method to test such claims.

Claude Steiner originally coined the term in the 1970's stating that ‘being emotionally literate means that you know what emotions you and others have'. He has since gone on to develop his idea of emotional literacy which he terms emotional intelligence with a heart i.e. a mixed model of emotional intelligence. However, a common idea in all models of EI is that there exists a skill or ability to percieve emotions in themselves and are able to communicate these emotions, which is Stiener's original, simpler concept.

Such distinctions between EI and emotional literacy have been taken up by organisations such as Emotional Literacy Advocates and theorists such as Steve Hain. They limit the definition of emotional literacy to 'an ability to express emotions (in a literary sense)' e.g. I feel excited. Any more and we begin to engage our analytical mind and it moves in to the realm of EI.

It can be useful to think of emotional literacy as being an element of emotional intelligence as shown below: