The Conceptual Aspect of the Bar-On Model (the theory):

The Encyclopedia of Applied Psychology states that there are three major models of emotional intelligence:

(i) the Mayer-Salovey model which defines this construct as the ability to perceive, understand, manage and use emotions to facilitate thinking;

(ii) the Goleman model which views it as an array of emotional and social competencies that contribute to managerial performance; and

(iii) the Bar-On model which describes EI as a cross-section of interrelated emotional and social competencies, skills and facilitators that impact intelligent behavior.

The Bar-On model can be divided into two main parts. The first part is the theory, or conceptualization, of emotional-social intelligence; and the second part is the psychometric aspect of the model which is, essentially, the measure of emotional-social intelligence which was based on the theory and designed to assess it. These two aspects of the model have also been referred to as (a) the Bar-On conceptual model of emotional-social intelligence and (b) the Bar-On psychometric model of emotional-social intelligence, while (c) the Bar-On model of emotional-social intelligence refers to both the conceptual and the psychometric aspects of this model combined into one entity.

In contrast to what appears in some publications on the BarOn EQ-i from time to time, there is no “EQ-i model of emotional intelligence” – more succinctly, the EQ-i is based on the “Bar-On model of emotional intelligence” as is clearly explained in this section.

This discussion includes the following topics:

• Theoretical foundations, background and development of the Bar-On model of emotional intelligence
• A broad definition of emotional-social intelligence according to the Bar-On model
• The 5 meta-factors and 15 sub-factors of the Bar-On model
• What it means to be emotionally and socially intelligent according to the Bar-On model
• Considerations and issues regarding the conceptualization of EI