Peter Salovey

Peter Salovey

Peter Salovey is a psychologist and co-author, with John Mayer, of the 1990 paper that defined emotional intelligence, and of the 2008 American Psychologist paper with David Caruso on ability and mixed approaches.

Who they are

The work of Peter Salovey reaches this site through the papers listed below. On this site the name is tied to Emotional Intelligence, Ability Versus Mixed Emotional Intelligence.

Key papers

Salovey, P., & Mayer, J. D. (1990). Emotional intelligence. Imagination, Cognition and Personality, 9(3), 185-211. What it reports: The paper that introduced and defined emotional intelligence as a set of abilities.

Mayer, J. D., Salovey, P., & Caruso, D. R. (2008). Emotional intelligence: New ability or eclectic traits? American Psychologist, 63(6), 503-517. What it reports: Describes a split between researchers who study emotional intelligence as a distinct set of mental abilities and those who study a broader mix of positive traits, and argues that separating the two clarifies which research is relevant.

Key ideas

Emotional Intelligence: The ability to perceive, understand, use and manage emotions in yourself and others.

Ability Versus Mixed Emotional Intelligence: The split between measuring emotional intelligence as an ability and measuring it as a blend of traits.

Sources

  1. Salovey, P., & Mayer, J. D. (1990). Emotional intelligence. Imagination, Cognition and Personality, 9(3), 185-211.
  2. Mayer, J. D., Salovey, P., & Caruso, D. R. (2008). Emotional intelligence: New ability or eclectic traits? American Psychologist, 63(6), 503-517.