Mental Health and Psychological Counseling Forum

Author: Ma Jianqing
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-07-01
Features: [Excerpt:] When Professor Goleman's book "Emotional Intelligence" was translated and published in China, he said in the article "To the Readers of the Simplified Chinese Edition": "Chinese parents have always been good at urging their children to achieve good results in studies and careers. However, in modern society, success in life requires not only academic excellence but also many other skills. Contemporary China is forging a new path toward success, and high emotional intelligence will help people lead the way on this path." He added that American schools have already introduced emotional education courses, teaching children and adolescents basic and essential emotional skills while they receive traditional education in math and language. If Chinese schools could also integrate emotional education into regular curricula, Chinese children would undoubtedly benefit as well."
American psychologist Bloom once pointed out that the relationship between the cognitive and emotional domains is crucial in education. "Confluent education" is the idea that cognitive, emotional, and other domains should be combined in both collective and individual learning. American educator Brown (G. I. Brown) believed that confluent education refers to the integration of emotional and cognitive elements in both individual and group learning. However, research and education in the emotional domain have lagged far behind those in the cognitive domain. Currently in the U.S., emotional education courses and training programs related to emotional intelligence are being implemented in many schools. Emotional education differs from the emotional-focused education movement of the 1960s in the U.S., which emphasized that emotions should be engaged to facilitate learning. Abstract and theoretical concepts could be more deeply understood if students had personal experiences and emotional engagement. Emotional education, however, now places greater emphasis on teaching emotions themselves, making emotions the very subject of education. For example, the U.S. "Self-Science" course includes the following content:
Self-awareness: Observing oneself, recognizing emotions, building emotional vocabulary, understanding the relationship between thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.
Personal decision-making: Evaluating actions, understanding outcomes, reflecting on rational vs. impulsive decisions, and resisting inappropriate temptations.
Emotional regulation: Reflecting on internal dialogue, identifying self-suppressed negative thoughts; finding the roots of emotions; learning to reduce fear, anxiety, and sadness.
Stress reduction: Learning techniques such as exercise, visualization, and relaxation.
Empathy: Understanding others' feelings, putting oneself in their shoes, recognizing different perspectives and emotions.
Communication: Learning to express emotions, listening actively, asking questions; distinguishing between others' words and one's own reactions; articulating opinions clearly without blaming others.
Self-disclosure: Understanding the importance of honesty and building intimate relationships; knowing when to share personal privacy.
Insight: Recognizing emotional patterns and reactions; identifying others' similar patterns.
Self-acceptance: Cultivating pride, positively evaluating oneself; knowing strengths and weaknesses; developing self-deprecating humor.
Responsibility: Taking ownership; recognizing the consequences of decisions and actions; accepting emotions and attitudes; maintaining perseverance in tasks.
Confidence: Expressing care and emotions with composure.
Teamwork: Learning to collaborate, knowing when to take leadership roles, understanding how to lead others, and learning to follow.
Conflict resolution: Engaging in constructive debates with peers, parents, and teachers; mastering negotiation skills for win-win resolutions.
Additionally, programs such as the "Youth Intervention Education Project" by the Grant Foundation, the "Child Development Project" in California, the "Seattle Social Development Project" at the University of Washington, the "Yale-New Haven Social Skills Improvement Project" at the University of Chicago, the "Creative Conflict Resolution Project" in New York, and the "Social Awareness and Problem-Solving Skills Improvement Project" at Rutgers University are all educational initiatives aimed at enhancing children and adolescents' emotional and social skills while reducing negative psychological behaviors. These emotional education programs have yielded positive results. Researchers comparing students who took the courses with those who did not found that emotional education significantly improved students' emotional and social skills, as well as their behavior both in and out of school and academic performance. Specifically, the benefits include:
In emotional self-awareness: Better ability to recognize and understand one's emotions; clearer understanding of emotional triggers; stronger awareness of the difference between emotions and behaviors.
In emotional regulation: Greater resilience to frustration, better control over anger; fewer arguments, fights, and disruptions in class; more appropriate expression of anger instead of resorting to violence; fewer suspensions or expulsions; reduced aggressive or self-defeating behaviors; more balanced views of self, peers, and family; better stress management; fewer feelings of loneliness or social anxiety.
In guiding emotions to improve work performance: Increased sense of responsibility; better focus on current tasks; fewer impulsive actions; stronger self-control; improved academic performance.
In recognizing others' emotions and empathy: Greater openness to others' perspectives; stronger ability to empathize; keen sensitivity to others' emotions; more attentive listening.
In interpersonal skills: Improved ability to understand and analyze relationships; better conflict resolution and negotiation; more effective communication and interaction; more popularity and outgoing personality; better friendships; more consideration for others; greater enjoyment of social activities; more cooperative and helpful behavior; more egalitarian interactions, etc.
These educational outcomes are not isolated cases but rather consistent findings across multiple studies. Notably, emotional education has been shown to improve children's academic performance and school behavior. In recent years, some universities and high schools in China have also begun to emphasize psychological and emotional education. Since 1987, we have offered the course "Youth Mental Health" in universities, with 22 semesters of continuous success over 11 years, achieving a 96.2% satisfaction rate in improving mental health, emotional intelligence, and holistic development. Post-education, students' average psychological levels improved from "average" to "good."