Have you read the Illinois study and the work of Professor Aron Barbey? Read on for a summary of an excellent body of research.
Two intelligences
It has long been thought that that general intelligence and emotional intelligence inhabit different parts of the brain i.e. general intelligence resides in the pre-frontal cortex and emotional intelligence in the limbic system. However, the latest research suggests differently.
In 2012 Professor Aron Barbey of University of Illinois undertook a study, (published in the journal Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience), of 152 US Vietnam war veterans. The selected veterans had very specific brain injuries. They were subjected to rigorous testing and their brains mapped by CT scans.
The results showed a strong overlap both in the brain and behaviour between general and emotional intelligences. They share much of the same real estate in the brain.
The study found that although the frontal cortex generally regulates behaviour it also manages planning, memory, reward and attention. Meanwhile, the parietal cortex integrates sensory information, helps body coordination and processes language.
