Bias
Emotional Intelligence is Simple
Emotional Intelligence is not complicated. Too often, those who teach others about emotional Intelligence overcomplicate it. At its core, EI is straightforward – Can you recognise emotions in yourself? Can you observe them in others? And can you use this knowledge to influence yourself and/or them? Chances are, if you are good at recognising emotions […]
3 Simple Methods to Quieten the Mind & Focus
To pay attention to a task at hand, we first must learn to become aware of and then quieten those swirling thoughts and/or emotions. Here are some everyday activities, methods and practices that people around the world use to focus attention, clear their minds, or still an inner dialogue. Another common psychological practice is visualisation, […]
Are you analysing behaviour through the lens or in the mirror?
Here at EIA, we spend our daily lives immersed in various aspects of the science of human behaviour. As well as conducting analyses, our own research, and keeping up with new research from others, we also teach, consult and coach others in these diverse areas of science. In doing so, we’ve noticed that there often […]
The gift and curse of anger – a guerrilla in the mist
Anger is a primitive signal from our subconscious that we should pay attention to. It is a ‘call to action’, though the action that anger prompts can sometimes make situations worse, for us, for others, and for our relationships. Anger arises when someone, or something, is interfering with our goals or compromising our values, beliefs, […]
Self-beliefs, Success, and Fleas.
Our beliefs have a profound influence on our success in work and in life – whatever our goals. Our beliefs are the foundation upon which we build many of our thought patterns, our attitudes, and our actions. Unfortunately, these beliefs, particularly self-beliefs, can be limiting in nature. If these are coming from your family or […]
Well-being, empathy and challenging emotions
We are all good at Emotional Intelligence when stakes are low… but what about when we are put to the test? Emotional intelligence(EI) is the ability to perceive, understand and influence our own and others’ emotions across a range of contexts to guide our current thinking and actions to help us to achieve our goals. […]
Respond or React? – Emotional Intelligence and Managing the Stress of Change and Challenge during COVID-19
Much of our time is spent reacting to others and events around us. We are hardwired to deal with the world as an animal (e.g. a Chimp). The challenge is that these reactions might not always be the best course of action, and as a result, what we do can make others unhappy, make us […]
Wielding the Power of Words
We’ve all heard the 19th-century quote from Edward Bulwer-Lytton suggesting that “the pen is mightier than the sword”, and Shakespeare’s early 17th-century observation in Hamlet that “…many wearing rapiers are afraid of goose quills”, and even earlier with Greek Philosopher Euripides in the 4th century BCE reminding us that, “…the tongue is mightier than the blade”. […]
Five strategies for emotion regulation – the core of emotional resilience
Emotional resilience is about our ability to cope with, and adapt to, stressful situations – and at the core of this is emotion regulation, the ability to manage our own emotions. This is centred around the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS). The ANS interacts with the internal organs, including the blood vessels, stomach, intestine, liver, kidneys, […]
Being humble… you don’t have to know everything!
This blog was prompted by a comment made by one of our international Diploma students at the end of a two-day Behaviour Analysis workshop. As we were clearing up the training room, I noticed that they were smiling (clearly a genuine smile, and not socially obliged), and they approached me to make the following observation: […]
Managing Bias in The Workplace
Unconscious bias has been talked about a lot lately due to the news that Starbucks is closing 8000 of its stores to train their staff on the very subject. In this article, we explore some of the most common types of biases, why we have them, and what they do to our way of thinking… I wonder […]
Being attentive – as if our life depends on it.
At the heart of behaviour analysis is the ability to be attentive – to notice what you see, hear and smell. When the military or the security services are operational they often draw on a four-level alert system originated by the late Jeff Cooper (ex Maine Corps-US). This is not to be confused with a […]
Emotional Intelligence – Ability, Trait or mixed?
If you were to review the existing models of Emotional Intelligence(EI) you would find many commonalities and many differences. Some are geared to leadership or work, some to well-being and some more neutral of context and application. Some incorporate traits, personality and other qualities that reflect the research base for the model or the preferences […]
When others tell lies – They can’t help but leak the truth.
Think for a moment of a few interpretations of each of these following phrases. Assume that they are said to you by a close friend, or from your spouse or domestic partner: “Are you hungry?” “I hate you” “Go ahead”. The first statement could be a genuine interest in your need for food, or it […]
The Science of the Near Miss and Why Slot Machines are the Devil
A near miss is a special kind of failure, It feels a lot like a win. Think back to that time you rolled up that piece of paper and went for that almost impossible shot into your colleagues bin, or the time you were practicing a new dance move that you very nearly performed to […]