Week 6: Emotional Intelligence & the Brain

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Introduction

Emotional intelligence (EI) plays a critical role in how the brain manages emotions, stress, decision making, and social interactions across the lifespan. Rather than being separate from thinking, emotions actively shape attention, memory, motivation, and executive control. Understanding emotional intelligence from a brain-based perspective helps learners appreciate how emotional skills support everyday functioning, brain health, and resilience—especially in emotionally demanding or socially complex situations.

This lesson explores how EI is supported by brain networks, how it interacts with executive functions, and how strengthening EI skills can promote healthier brain functioning and cognitive aging. While EI is not a cure or guarantee against cognitive decline, it represents a practical and evidence-informed target for supporting brain health and quality of life.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

Define emotional intelligence (EI) and its core domains.

Explain the role of EI in brain function and executive control.

Analyze how EI influences cognitive performance in emotionally charged (“hot”) situations.

Apply practical strategies to enhance emotional awareness, regulation, coping, and social interactions.

Develop a personal plan to strengthen EI skills to support long-term brain health and resilience.

1. What Is Emotional Intelligence (EI)?

(Mayer et al., 2016; Petrides et al., 2016)

Emotional intelligence (EI) is the capacity to perceive, understand, use, and regulate emotions in oneself and others in ways that support effective thinking, behavior, relationships, and well-being. EI involves recognizing emotional signals, interpreting their meaning, and intentionally integrating emotional information into decision making and action. From a brain perspective, emotions are not separate from cognition. Instead, they are deeply intertwined with attention, memory, motivation, learning, and social behavior. Emotional intelligence reflects how efficiently the brain coordinates emotional and cognitive processes to support goal-directed functioning.

2. Core Domains of Emotional Intelligence

(Mayer et al., 2016; Hughes & Evans, 2018)

Across contemporary EI models, several core abilities consistently appear:

Core EI skills

Perceiving emotions: Recognizing emotions in oneself and others through facial expressions, tone of voice, posture, and internal bodily sensations.

Understanding emotions: Identifying emotional causes, recognizing mixed emotions, and anticipating how emotions may change over time.

Using emotions to facilitate thinking: Harnessing emotions to guide attention, motivation, creativity, and prioritization.

Managing and regulating emotions: Modulating emotional responses in oneself and influencing emotions constructively in relationships.

Broader domains

These abilities are often grouped into:

Intrapersonal EI: Self-awareness and self-management

Interpersonal EI: Social awareness and relationship management

3. Emotional Intelligence and the Brain: A Network View

(Kohn et al., 2019; Pessoa, 2017) (Pessoa, 2017)

Neuroscience research shows that EI does not reside in a single “emotion center.” Instead, it emerges from distributed brain networks that integrate emotion, cognition, bodily awareness, and social processing.

Key brain systems involved in EI

Frontal control regions

Ventromedial and orbitofrontal prefrontal cortex (vmPFC/OFC): Integrate emotional signals into value-based decision making and social judgment.

Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC): Supports working memory, cognitive flexibility, and deliberate emotion regulation strategies such as cognitive reappraisal.

Salience and interoceptive regions

Anterior insula: Represents internal bodily states and emotional awareness.

Anterior cingulate cortex (ACC): Detects emotional conflict and coordinates switching between emotional and cognitive demands.

Social and semantic networks

Temporal poles and superior temporal sulcus (STS): Support understanding others’ emotions, intentions, and social meaning.

Limbic and memory systems

Amygdala: Rapid detection of emotionally relevant stimuli.

Hippocampus: Contextual and emotional memory.

Different EI skills rely more heavily on different parts of this network (e.g., emotion perception vs. emotion regulation), but these systems operate together as an integrated whole.

Emotional intelligence is rooted in how different brain regions work together. The amygdala helps detect and respond to emotions, especially fear and stress, while the hippocampus connects emotions to memories. The prefrontal cortex (part of the cerebral cortex) helps regulate emotional reactions, make thoughtful decisions, and control impulses. The hypothalamus links emotions to physical responses in the body, such as changes in heart rate. When these areas communicate effectively, we are better able to understand our feelings, manage reactions, and respond to others with empathy and self-awareness.

4. Emotional Intelligence and Executive Functions

(Diamond, 2020)(Webb et al., 2016)

Emotional intelligence is closely integrated with executive functions (EF) including attention, working memory, inhibition, and cognitive flexibility—rather than operating separately from them..

“Hot” vs. “Cool” executive functions

EI most strongly influences executive functioning when tasks involve emotional, motivational, or social content (“hot” EF), rather than emotionally neutral or abstract tasks (“cool” EF).

Ability-based EI predicts performance mainly on emotionally loaded tasks, such as emotional inhibition or reward-based decision making.

EI shows weaker or inconsistent associations with purely neutral attention or inhibition tasks.

This suggests that EI shapes how executive control is deployed when emotions matter, not baseline cognitive capacity.

This diagram shows a balance between two ways we think and behave.

On the left is experiential learning (“hot” cognition) — this is emotion-driven, reactive, and based on experience. Too much of this can lead to under-control, meaning low inhibition, impulsivity, and disorganization.

On the right is reflective learning (“cold” cognition) — this is logical, controlled, and thoughtful. Too much of this can lead to over-control, meaning rigid thinking, excessive inhibition, and low emotional openness.

The middle overlap represents balanced behavioral flexibility — the healthy goal. This is when someone can shift between emotional responses and thoughtful control depending on the situation. Social and structural support helps people move toward that balanced middle, especially when behavioral demands (complex situations) increase.

5. Specific Executive Functions Influenced by EI

(Megías et al., 2017) (Webb et al., 2016) (Pessoa, 2017)

Conflict monitoring and response inhibition

Individuals with higher EI show stronger conflict detection and fewer impulsive responses during emotional inhibition tasks.

These effects are reflected in neural markers such as larger N2 event-related potential (ERP) components, indicating enhanced monitoring when emotional stimuli are present.

Decision making under emotional stakes

In emotionally charged decision-making tasks, higher EI is associated with more advantageous choices and better learning from emotional feedback.

Differences linked to EI often disappear in emotionally neutral tasks, reinforcing the idea that EI matters most when outcomes carry emotional meaning.

Working memory and flexible attention

Higher EI supports flexible attention to emotional information, helping individuals use emotions to guide performance rather than disrupt it.

EI helps filter irrelevant emotional “noise,” freeing working memory resources for task-relevant processing.

Because emotional intelligence shapes how executive functions are deployed in emotionally charged contexts, it has important implications for long-term brain health and cognitive functioning.

6. Emotional Intelligence and Brain Health

(Sánchez-Álvarez et al., 2016) (Arnsten, 2015) (Tang et al., 2015; Kohn et al., 2019) (Diamond, 2020) (Extremera et al., 2019)

High emotional intelligence supports brain health primarily by improving emotion regulation, reducing chronic stress load, and promoting healthier cognitive, emotional, and social functioning over time.

Stress, emotion regulation, and the brain

Higher EI is associated with better emotional awareness and regulation, leading to lower perceived stress and emotional overload.

Reduced chronic stress protects prefrontal brain regions and supports healthier communication between the prefrontal cortex and the amygdala.

Structural and functional brain effects

Emotion regulation practices related to EI (e.g., reappraisal, mindfulness) are associated with stronger functional connectivity between prefrontal and limbic regions.

Training such skills has been linked to neuroplastic changes, including increased gray matter density in areas involved in attention and self-control.

Cognitive performance and flexibility

By reducing anxiety and emotional interference, EI frees cognitive resources that support attention, working memory, and decision making.

Mental health and resilience

Higher EI predicts lower stress, anxiety, depression, and burnout, and greater use of adaptive coping strategies.

Emotional resilience supports stable functioning of brain networks involved in mood regulation and self-referential processing.

Over time, the protective effects of EI on stress, resilience, and social engagement may contribute to healthier cognitive aging and potentially reduce risk factors associated with dementia

7. Emotional Intelligence, Cognitive Aging, and Dementia Risk

(Extremera et al., 2019; Livingston et al., 2020)

What is known

EI is associated with indicators of healthy aging, including better mental health, resilience, and social functioning.

These factors are themselves linked to healthier cognitive aging.

What is not yet established

There is no direct evidence that high EI independently reduces dementia risk.

EI is not yet included in major dementia risk prediction models.

More longitudinal research is needed to test whether EI predicts cognitive decline beyond IQ, education, and lifestyle factors.

Plausible indirect pathways

High EI may support healthier cognitive aging by:

Reducing chronic stress and stress-hormone burden

Supporting mental health and emotional resilience

Encouraging adaptive coping and strong social engagement

Because stress regulation, mental health, and social connection are well-established protective factors for cognitive aging, EI likely contributes indirectly to cognitive reserve.

Practical Strategies to Increase Emotional Intelligence

Goal: Strengthen emotional awareness, regulation, social skills, and resilience to support brain function, executive control, and overall well-being.

1. Strengthen Emotional Awareness (Self-Awareness)

Why it matters: Emotional awareness engages insula and prefrontal networks that support self-monitoring and regulation.

Practical Strategies:

Daily emotional check-ins: Pause 1–2x/day and ask:

What am I feeling right now?

What triggered it?

Where do I feel it in my body?

Increase emotional vocabulary: Use emotion wheels or lists to label feelings precisely (e.g., frustrated, uneasy, hopeful).

Action Step: Pause 2–3 times today and note your emotions. Write one new word to describe each feeling.

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2. Practice Emotion Regulation Skills

Why it matters: Effective regulation reduces chronic stress, protects prefrontal functioning, and supports emotion–cognition integration.

Practical Strategies:

Cognitive reappraisal: Reframe situations positively or neutrally.

Pause-and-breathe: Use slow, extended exhales (4–6 seconds) before responding.

Situation shaping: Adjust environment or timing to reduce emotional overload.

Action Step: Next time you feel stressed, try one of the regulation strategies and notice which works best.

3. Improve Emotional Control in “Hot” Situations

Why it matters: EI most strongly supports executive functions when emotions or rewards are involved.

Practical Strategies:

If–then plans:

If I notice irritation or heart racing, then pause, breathe, and ask one clarifying question before responding.

Name-before-action: Silently label the emotion before reacting to reduce impulsivity.

Action Step: Reflect on a recent emotional situation. How could you have applied the if–then plan?

4. Enhance Social & Relationship Intelligence

Why it matters: Healthy social engagement supports emotion regulation, stress buffering, and cognitive reserve.

Practical Strategies:

Micro-observation: Focus on 1–2 social cues (tone, posture, facial expression).

Perspective-taking: Briefly reflect on another person’s viewpoint after conflict.

“Name + need” communication: Express emotions clearly and constructively.

Action Step: Choose one interaction today to observe a single cue and reflect afterward.

5. Build Emotional Resilience Over Time

Why it matters: Repeated EI behaviors strengthen neural pathways linking emotion and executive control.

Practical Strategies:

Weekly reflection loop:

What emotional situations stood out?

How did I respond?

Which EI skill did I use or miss?

What will I try differently next time?

Protective lifestyle habits: Pair EI practice with sleep, exercise, mindfulness, and social connection.

Action Step: Use the weekly reflection loop to identify one pattern to improve next week.

Implementing these strategies regularly can translate the neuroscience of EI into everyday practices that support brain health and well-being

Conclusion:

Emotional intelligence (EI) is the skill of recognizing, understanding, and responding to emotions in ways that support goals, relationships, and brain health. It strengthens the interaction between emotional and cognitive brain systems, enhancing executive functioning, resilience, and social connection.

Key Takeaways:

EI helps the brain handle emotionally and socially significant situations, rather than improving all abstract cognitive tasks.

Practicing emotion regulation, coping, and relationship skills is a low-risk, high-value strategy for brain fitness.

EI protects the brain from chronic stress, improves emotion–cognition integration, and supports mental flexibility and social functioning.

Over time, emotionally intelligent habits promote healthier thinking, better decision-making, and a more resilient brain.

Bottom Line: You cannot control every emotional trigger, but you can train how your brain responds, building long-term brain health one thoughtful response at a time.

References

Arnsten, A. F. T. (2015). Stress weakens prefrontal networks: Molecular insults to higher cognition. Nature Neuroscience, 18(10), 1376–1385. https://doi.org/10.1038/nn.4087

Diamond, A. (2020). Executive functions. Annual Review of Psychology, 64, 135–168. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-113011-143750

Extremera, N., Rey, L., & Sánchez-Álvarez, N. (2019). Emotional intelligence, perceived stress, and subjective well-being in adulthood: A longitudinal study. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01823

Hughes, D., & Evans, R. (2018). Emotional intelligence in organizations: A review and implications for practice. International Journal of Management Reviews, 20(2), 176–195. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijmr.12106

Kohn, N., Eickhoff, S. B., Scheller, M., Laird, A. R., Fox, P. T., & Habel, U. (2019). Neural network of cognitive emotion regulation—An ALE meta-analysis and MACM analysis. NeuroImage, 87, 345–355. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2013.10.001

Livingston, G., Huntley, J., Sommerlad, A., Ames, D., Ballard, C., Banerjee, S., … & Cooper, C. (2020). Dementia prevention, intervention, and care: 2020 report of the Lancet Commission. The Lancet, 396(10248), 413–446. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30367-6

Mayer, J. D., Salovey, P., & Caruso, D. R. (2016). The ability model of emotional intelligence: Principles and updates. Emotion Review, 8(4), 290–300. https://doi.org/10.1177/1754073916639667

Megías, A., Gómez-Leal, R., & Tapia, M. (2017). Emotional intelligence and ERP correlates of conflict monitoring: Evidence from a go/no-go emotional task. Biological Psychology, 129, 123–132. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2017.09.006

Pessoa, L. (2017). A network model of the emotional brain. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 21(5), 357–371. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2017.03.002

Petrides, K. V., Mikolajczak, M., Mavroveli, S., Sanchez-Ruiz, M. J., Furnham, A., & Pérez-González, J. C. (2016). Developments in trait emotional intelligence research. Emotion Review, 8(4), 335–341. https://doi.org/10.1177/1754073916639660

Sánchez-Álvarez, N., Extremera, N., & Fernández-Berrocal, P. (2016). The relation between emotional intelligence and subjective well-being: A meta-analytic investigation. Journal of Positive Psychology, 11(3), 276–285. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2015.1058968

Tang, Y.-Y., Hölzel, B. K., & Posner, M. I. (2015). The neuroscience of mindfulness meditation. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 16(4), 213–225. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn3916

Webb, C. A., Webster, R. M., Charbonneau, A., & Sheppes, G. (2016). Ability emotional intelligence and hot and cool cognitive tasks. Personality and Individual Differences, 101, 243–248. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2016.05.054

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