Assignment Code:BPCS-185/ASST/TMA /2021-22

Course Code: BPCS-185

Assignment Name: Developing Emotional Competence

Year: 2021-2022

Verification Status: Verified by Professor

NOTE: All questions are compulsory.

Assignment One

Answer the following descriptive category questions in about 500 words each. Each question carries 20 marks. 3 x 20 = 60

Q 1) Explain the components of emotional intelligence with suitable examples.

Ans) Emotional intelligence can be divided into four parts that are all interconnected:

Let's take a closer look at each of these elements.

1. Perceiving emotions

This is the fundamental ability to recognise and register emotions in ourselves and others. People with strong emotional intelligence can recognise when they are feeling a certain emotion and utilise their vocabulary to define it.

For example, having the sensation of "butterflies in the stomach" while being aware that they are nervous or anxious. They are extremely sensitive to other people's emotions and can read people's facial expressions and body language to determine if they are angry, sad, pleased, or a variety of other emotions.

2. Understanding emotions

This section discusses how to use the specific information that distinct emotions convey and how that information may influence their behaviour. Each emotion provides humans with unique information about their surroundings and energises them to act in a specific direction. People who are emotionally savvy may ‘read' this information and utilise it to guide their actions.

Understanding that one's rage at a friend may stem from a feeling of being treated unfairly by them, for example. Understanding the feelings of others is similar; noticing that a sibling is hunched over and interacting with others less may signal that they are disturbed or depressed about something.

3. Managing emotions

When someone immediately recognises and understands their emotions, it becomes much easier for them to consider the following steps in order to modify them. This is true for both oneself and others. Recognizing that one is depressed and desiring to change that emotion may prompt one to make plans to see a movie, visit a friend with whom one enjoys conversing, or just call the person. Deep breathing and relaxation techniques may be used to calm oneself down if one wants to minimise his or her rage. Similar tools could be used to help others adjust their feelings.

Saying sorry or apologising to an angry friend, for example, can help to alleviate anger and unhappiness. Listening to a sorrowful sibling might help to lift their spirits.

4. Using emotions

It is more than merely dealing with or regulating emotions to be able to use one's emotions. It entails the ability to use emotions to improve our thinking, decision-making, and interpersonal interactions.

For example, hiding one's fear of public speaking by utilising body language and hand gestures to express eagerness instead, resulting in a more engaged audience. Another example of harnessing emotions is channelling indignation at perceived injustice into fighting for one's lawful rights, which has been utilised widely to bring about societal changes and reforms for millennia.

As the examples above show, people's abilities in each of the three fields are not identical. Someone who is adept at regulating their own anger may not be able to soothe another person who is upset. Similarly, one may recognise his or her own melancholy but lack well-developed skills for changing or managing it. It takes time and effort to develop these talents, and they may require formal instruction and experience.

Q 2) Define emotional intelligence (EI). Describe the strategies related to intrapersonal aspect to develop emotional competence.

Ans) Emotional intelligence is the ability to recognise our own and others' feelings, to motivate ourselves, and to effectively manage emotions in ourselves and our relationships. Emotional intelligence is valued because it has the ability to have a significant impact on individuals and groups. It's been related to better job performance, particularly in social situations and when combined with cognitive intelligence.

Emotional intelligence aids in the understanding of oneself and others; it entails understanding, managing, and successfully expressing one's emotions in daily life. The capacity to motivate oneself and comprehend others' emotions improves one's performance and effectiveness.

Strategies related to Intrapersonal Aspect

1. Focusing on the aspects of emotions

One of the first steps in developing emotional competence is to pay attention to one's feelings. It is necessary to comprehend the nature of emotions, as well as their significance and relevance in the given situation.

2. Being aware of yourself

Accurate self-evaluation can also assist you in fully understanding yourself. Being conscious of one's emotions aids in self-evaluation. Aside from that, concentrate on discovering your strengths, flaws, ambitions, aspirations, interests, concerns, anxieties, value system, and goals, which will provide you with a complete image of yourself. Reflect on yourself in various settings and experiences, solicit feedback from others — all of these things will aid in correct self-evaluation and increase our consciousness and understanding of ourselves.

3. Being assertive

Assertiveness aids in being confident and effectively articulating what you want to say to the other person. This is feasible if you are clear about your goals and how you want to interact with the other person or scenario in the future.

4. Cognitive

Cognitive restructuring is the process of becoming aware of one's thinking and altering one's perspective on a circumstance. Changing your perspective can help you see new opportunities and solve problems.

5. Being mindful

Being conscious of our mental condition aids in the development of self-control and the regulation of our emotional expression. When we are not aware of our thoughts and feelings, we become stressed, and we jump to conclusions and respond in a hasty manner.

6. Being resilient

Being resilient entails addressing hardship head on and rising to meet it with renewed vigour. Resilient people are in control of their emotions, self-assured, and have a positive outlook. This aids in stress management and promotes mental health. It also shows an internal locus of control, i.e., attributing one's own effort, attitude, and motivation to one's own effort, attitude, and motivation rather than chance or other variables such as fate, family, or situations.

7. Coping strategies

Individuals' coping mechanisms might be either emotion-focused or problem-focused. Emotion-focused coping seeks to address the individual's emotional responses, especially when the circumstance is beyond of one's control.

8. Developing positive attitude

Possessing a positive attitude entail thinking positively, feeling positively, and acting positively. Being conscious of your emotions, keeping a healthy perspective, and being adaptable will assist you in cultivating a positive attitude and outlook.

Q 3) Elaborate on the relationship between emotions and self-control.

Ans) Emotions are present in every aspect of our lives. It can even be referred to as the foundation of our relationships, activities, and success. Emotions shape our personalities. As a result, we must concentrate on our emotions — how to recognise, engage with, express, and control them — in order to live a productive and happy life. We must first acknowledge and understand the emotions we are experiencing, as well as how they are affecting our performance, relationships, and conduct. Once we've done that, we'll be able to make changes in our communication and conduct that will have a beneficial influence. Emotional abilities have an impact on our lives in a variety of ways. They have an impact on not just our personal lives, but also our professional lives and other elements of our lives. Recognizing, understanding, and effectively managing emotions has an impact on our growth, satisfaction, performance, and relationships.

Meaning and Importance of Self-control

Self-control, as the name implies, relates to being in command of one's own actions. This primarily refers to the ability to control one's emotions in the present. It entails being aware of one's emotions and controlling them so that one does not erupt as a result of them, but instead can appraise the circumstance and others around them before deciding on a plan of action. As a result, emotional self-control aids in self-control and impulsivity reduction.

Emotional self-control is defined by Stein and Book as "the ability to recognise one's angry and violent impulses, remain collected, and put the brakes on angry, aggressive, unfriendly, and irresponsible behaviour." As a result, self-control allows us to remain calm, comprehend our emotions, and avoid acting on impulse. Not only in instances of wrath or aggressiveness, but also in times of tremendous joy, pleasure, or excitement, self-control is essential. We get so aroused in the latter instance that our language and behaviour can have a detrimental impact on others, such as making insensitive remarks about someone.

The following are the most important aspects of emotional self-control:

1. Emotional self-control is an ability and skill of emotional intelligence (EI)

2. It relates to intrapersonal management component of EI

3. It volves controlling or regulating or managing one’s emotions

4. Pre-requisite for self-control is awareness about one’s own emotions

5. Together with self-awareness, managing oneself through self- control are said

6. to be the gateway to EI

7. Self-awareness and self-management are two crucial first things in developing EI

8. Self-control involves learning to manage distressing and disruptive emotions

9. It puts a check on such emotions, thus avoiding impulsive behaviour and actions

10. It allows for thinking about the situation, thereby enabling to take wise decisions and appropriate steps

11. Self-control thus aids in self growth, managing ourselves well and brings success and achievement

12. It also helps facilitate proper interpersonal relationship and communication

As a result, competent emotional management, both positive and negative, can lead to growth, adjustment, positive relationships, achievement, and success. Management of emotions, as defined by Mayer, Salovey, and Caruso, is the ability to successfully regulate one's emotions, such as stress, urges, and motivation, as well as one's thoughts and behaviours, in a variety of contexts. Controlling one's emotions, also known as self-control, stimulates the thinking, reasoning, and analysing aspects of the brain, which aid in putting things into context and perspective. Look before you leap, as the saying goes. Instead of acting on impulse, it is always better to halt, look, plan, and then act.

Assignment Two

Answer the following short category questions in about 100 words each. Each question carries 5 marks. 8 x 5 = 40

Q 4) Explain self-awareness and self-regulation.

Ans) In the context of emotional competence, self-awareness entails being aware of one's emotional state, as well as the ability to acknowledge numerous feelings at the same time. Emotional self awareness at a higher level also includes realising that one may not be consciously aware of one's sentiments due to unconscious dynamics or selective inattention.

Self-regulation refers to the ability to control and regulate one's emotional experience and expression in order to preserve and improve one's functionality and effectiveness in relationships and at work. Self-regulation is a critical skill for guaranteeing smooth social functioning as well as work performance effectiveness.

Q 5) How can you develop assertiveness as an emotional competency?

Ans) Assertiveness is an emotional ability that may be honed in order to better manage one's emotions and have a positive impact on others in order to achieve success in life. This critical ability can be cultivated in a variety of ways:

1. Being aware of one’s emotions is the first thing in the process of developing assertiveness.

2. Being aware of other's emotions is the next step that is required on the way to be assertive.

3. Taking care/focusing on the C's of assertiveness. Be clear about what do you want, say it confidently and maintain a controlled manner throughout.

4. Practice your assertive dialogue. Assertiveness is a way of communication that may not develop overnight.

5. Being mindful. One needs to be mindful of one’s emotions, feelings and behaviours.

Q 6) Explain Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.

Ans) Maslow coined the word "self-actualization" to describe a higher-order psychological need that people aspire for once their lower-order wants to have been met. To describe the hierarchical structure of human needs, he suggested a need hierarchy model. The model is organised in the form of a pyramid, with lower-order needs at the bottom and higher-order demands at the top.

The physiological needs at the bottom are the most basic needs that must be met first before considering additional requirements. Similarly, self-esteem needs can only be considered after all other lower level wants have been met. Self-actualization is the highest need, and it is contingent on the fulfilment of all other needs below and beyond it. It represents realising all of one's ambitions, abilities, and potentials.

Q 7) Discuss the meaning and importance of self-regard.

Ans) Self-regard is defined as paying respect or regard to oneself while being fully aware of all of one's positive and negative characteristics. It's also known as self-worth, which refers to a person's sense of worthiness. As a result, other concepts like self-esteem, self-regard, self-respect, and self-worth are used interchangeably with the term self-concept.

Importance of Self regard

Self-esteem also aids in good interpersonal communication since people are more aware of their own ideas and emotions. Self-regard is defined as self-acceptance and respect for oneself. This solid foundation allows a person to grow and branch out while still having a good impact on oneself and others. It contributes to psychological health and well-being in the process.

Q 8) Describe the basic emotions and their universality.

Ans) Paul Ekman and his colleagues have demonstrated the universal existence of seven basic emotions through experimentation.

1. Joy or happiness

2. Surprise

3. Sadness

4. Anger

5. Disgust

6. Fear

7. Contempt

Joy, wrath, sadness, fear, love, dislike, and liking are all mentioned in ancient Chinese literature. Love, mirth, energy, amazement, wrath, sadness, disgust, and terror are eight such emotions identified in ancient Indian literature. Certain emotions, such as happiness, sadness, fear, rage, and contempt, are universally considered as inherent to human beings in western literature. Surprise, contempt, humiliation, guilt, and anticipation are not universally recognised emotions.

To summarise, there are certain basic emotions that are universally expressed and understood, as well as certain culturally distinct emotions.

Q 9) What do you mean by emotional awareness in oneself? Explain the skills involved in it.

Ans) One of the most important aspects of emotional intelligence is the ability to recognise emotions. Understanding what is going on in our mental and social worlds requires the ability to accurately detect emotions in oneself and people around us. Emotions store information and alert us to significant events. Accurate emotion recognition is crucial not only to success and happiness, but also to an individual's survival in some circumstances.

Emotional awareness in oneself consists of a number of skills, such as:

1. Identifying emotions

2. Labelling the emotion being experienced

3. Describing or expressing the emotion being experienced.

4. Emotional competency requires the ability to recognise and identify emotions.

Q 10) Explain the benefits of emotional intelligence.

Ans) Because of the many benefits it professes to bring to those who possess this capacity, the concept of emotional intelligence has become quite popular and is steadily gaining support.

Some of these benefits are:

1. Allows individuals to tap into not just thinking capacities, but also leverage information and strengths that emotions bring.

2. Takes a realistic and practical view of emotions as opposed to traditional notions that encourage leaving emotions out of certain contexts and encourage unhealthy suppression.

3. Facilitates understanding of self and others, beyond superficial information.

4. Encourages and enables empathy so that the quality of interpersonal interactions improves.

5. Adds competitive advantage over just cognitive intelligence and technical skills so that individuals are able to pursue excellence and success using a range of intelligences.

6. Allows individuals more agency and control over which emotions they would like to experience more of and which ones they consider undesirable in a given situation and would like to switch from.

Q 11) Explain how appraisal of events can lead to different emotions and highlight the implications.

Ans) Emotions are taken from our evaluations (appraisals or estimations) of events that elicit specific reactions in different persons, according to appraisal theory. In essence, our assessment of a circumstance triggers an emotional, or affective, reaction that is dependent on that assessment.

Going on a first date is an example of this. If the date is seen positively, one may experience feelings of happiness, joy, giddiness, excitement, and/or anticipation, as they have assessed this occasion as having good long-term implications, such as the beginning of a new relationship, engagement, or even marriage.

Implications

If, on the other hand, the date is seen unfavourably, we may experience dejection, melancholy, emptiness, or fear as a result. The ability to reason and comprehend one's emotional reaction is also vital for future evaluations. The appraisal theory is notable for accounting for individual differences in emotional reactions to the same event.