Emotions were not always viewed in a positive or constructive light, as chronicled
by Salovey, Mayer, & Caruso (2002). “Adult learners experience affect and emotion in a
range from positive and energizing to negative and distracting” (Dirkx, 2008, p. 9). Now,
however, emotions are recognized as pivotal in social situations (Markus & Kitayama,
1991). Recent literature (see Nelson & Low, 2011) illustrates the convergence of
emotion, cognition and behavior, as shown in Figure 2.2 below. This convergence is
important because it aligns with experiential learning, which incorporates cognitive,
behavioral and affective dimensions (Kolb, 1984; Illeris, 2007).
Figure 2. 2
2.2 Relationship Between Emotion, Cognition, and Behavior
Note: Adapted fromExcellence (2nd Edition (^) ) byEmotional Intelligence: Achieving Academic and Career D.B. Nelson & G.R. Low, p. 28. Copyright 2011 by
Prentice Hall.
Intelligence. The definition of intelligence typically relates to abstract reasoning
(Averill, 2000; Mayer, Salovey, & Caruso, 2000). According to Salovey and Mayer