Emotional Intelligence and Health (Paperback)

In this book, we explore the role of emotional intelligence as a new possible avenue of research related to the adoption and maintenance of a healthy diet/weight. Emotional Intelligence is defined as the ability to perceive, use, understand and regulate emotions (Mayer and Salovey 1997) and appears to contribute to quality decision making and performance in multiple domains (Goleman 1995). Few studies, however, offer empirical evidence. We conducted four empirical studies and examined the role of emotional intelligence in decision making and performance related to health (adoption and maintenance of an healthy diet/weight). Our findings suggest the salience of the role of specific emotional intelligence abilities in decision making and performance related to health. A training intervention on emotional intelligence and health seems to activate mechanisms that might help people to use their knowledge in the right direction (i.e. adoption/maintenance of a healthy diet/weight).