Educational policy on emotional intelligence appears to be based more on mass-media science journalism than on actual educational and psychological research. The 1st section of this article provides an overview of the research areas of emotional intelligence, social and emotional learning, and character education; it further examines how these areas became linked in the popular press. The 2nd section examines the scientific evidence for whether emotional intelligence underpins social and emotional learning, how emotional intelligence relates to success, and whether it is central to character. The authors conclude that educational policy in this area has outpaced the science on which it is ostensibly based, and give recommendations for the future. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
