Emotional Intelligence Initiative explores the relationship between democracy and emotions, promotes innovative instructions in the area of emotion management and dispute resolution, and organizes youth and adult education classes designed to improve emotional culture in groups and organizations. CDC organizes workshops for Nevada educators and popularizes innovative research on emotional intelligence in the Clark County School District. CDC efforts in the area of civic culture education are grounded in the belief that teaching civics alone is not enough for educating our citizens, that knowledge about the democratic political machinery and constitutional rights must be complemented by emotional competence and everyday civility. There is no consensus among scholars on whether democracy breeds certain kinds of sentiments and thrives in a particular emotional environment. Some critics say that democracy and civility do not presuppose each other, that democratic institutions do their job regardless of the quality of civic discourse and the emotional competence of the democratic citizenry. But then, emotional illiteracy and emotional littering are linked, a democracy where bullying is rampant pays a heavy price for neglecting the cultural-pragmatic dimension of civic education. The cost becomes evident when children settle disputes by shooting their rivals. Exploring the link between emotional literacy and the quality of democratic experience is one way to pay homage to the Bill of Rights and its framers whose grand experiment in democratic living we are privileged to continue.


The Social and Emotional Intelligence Network is composed of educators, scholars, and institutions dedicated to publicizing research on emotional intelligence and implementing its findings in schools, businesses, hospitals, government agencies, and other organizations. The term "EI" refers to emotional intelligence and highlights skills vital to everyday interactions. These skills are every bit as important for sustaining the quality of life as intellectual abilities measured by the intellectual quotient or "IQ." The UNLV Center for Democratic Culture is part of the network promoting the EI agenda in the sate of Nevada. PATHS, Second Step, and Facing History and Ourselves exemplify the programs that articulate the emotional intelligence curriculum objectives for school education. The EI education program is designed to (1) increase emotionally intelligent behavior, including empathy, direct/effective communication, and inclusion; (2) prevent "risk factors," including violence, negative conflict, addiction, and under achievement; (3) create a learning environment that arouses and sustains children's curiosity and intrinsic motivation to build a context where high achievement is valuable and enjoyable; (4) increase awareness of interdependence, personal responsibility for choices, and consequential thinking; and (5) transfer EI skills into academic subjects to increase performance, achievement, critical thinking, and creative thinking. To these goals spelled out by the EI curriculum, CDC activists add several more objectives designed to strengthen the civic culture component of democracy: (6) to explore the link between emotions and politics; (7) to examine the relationship between art and democratic experience; and (8) to cultivate practical civility as a means of realizing a social and political agenda.

The Leading Emotional Indicators project invites a closer look at the quality of life in our community. It is based on the notion that emotions play a vital role in the workplace, that every organization has a distinct emotional culture, and that the emotional health of its workers contributes weightily to the organization’s success and the quality of life in the community as a whole. As a service to the community, CDC conducts seminars on the Emotional Wellness and Emotionally Intelligent Workplace and the role of emotions in society. The Center's staff uses Emotion Template Matrix Analysis and ETM Survey to identify the organization’s leading emotional indicators and affect patterns. Where possible, this service is offered on the pro bono basis. To find out about the leading emotional indicators project and CDC services, please contact CDC administrators.

MoodCounts Survey is designed to assist individuals and groups in understanding patterns of their affective life and organizational culture. Administered by the CDC Board of Directors and intended for individual and group development purposes, the survey is available on the internet. You can access it by clicking on this link: MoodCounts. The survey is free, anonymous, and confidential. It takes about 20-30 minutes to complete, and it generates a three page computer report that lists the survey taker’s emotional indicators alongside the database mean scores. The ETM survey site has a group users’ option that allows charting emotional cultures of various groups and organizations. To obtain a group access code, please contact CDC administrators: cdclv@unlv.nevada.edu. You can learn about the MoodCounts questionnaire and emotionally intelligent democracy through the following links: Emotional Intelligence and Emotionally Intelligent Democracy, Emotion Template Matrix Analysis, MoodCounts: How to Read ETM Survey, ETM Chart pdf, ETM Chart html, ETM Table, and ETM Index Table. The ETM survey results were presented at the 2006 Annual Meeting of the American Sociological Association, Montreal, August 12. The findings can be found in the paper Agency Scan and Emotion Template Matrix Analysis: Theory, Methodology, Preliminary Findings.


Readings on Emotional Intelligence listed below provide an overview of the field and offer further references to those interested in practical applications of the emotional intelligence findings.
  1. Jennifer Kahn, (2013). "Can Emotional Intelligence Be Taught?" The New York Times Magazine, September 15, 2013.
  2. John D. Mayer, Peter Salovey, David R. Caruso, and Lillia Cherkasskiy. "Emotional Intelligence." (2001). In R. J. Sternberg & S.B. Kaufman, The Cambridge Handbook of Intelligence. pp. 528-549. New York, NY US: Cambridge University Press.
  3. Elbertson, N.A., Brackett, M.A., & Weissberg, R.P. (2010). “School-based Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Programming: Current Perspectives.” In A. Hargreaves, M. Fullan, D. Hopkins, & A. Lieberman, eds. The Second International Handbook of Educational Change. New York: Springer, pp. 1017-1032.
  4. Marc A. Brackett, Susan E. Rivers, and Peter Salovey. (2011). “Emotional Intelligence: Implications for Personal, Social, Academic, and Workplace Success.”  Social and Personality Psychology Compass 5:88–103.
  5. Maria R. Reyes, Marc A. Brackett, Susan E. Rivers, Mark White, and Peter Salovey. (2012). “Classroom Emotional Climate, Student Engagement, and “Academic Achievement.” Journal of Educational Psychology 104:700-712.
  6. Paulo N. Lopes, José M. Mestre, Rocío Guil, Janet Pickard Kremenitzer and Peter Solovey. (2012). The Role of Knowledge and Skills for Managing Emotions in Adaptation to School : Social Behavior and Misconduct in the Classroom. American Educational Research Journal 49:710-742.
  7. Marc A. Brackett, Maria R. Reyes, Susan E. Rivers, Nicole A. Elbertson, and Peter Salovey. (2012). “Assessing Teachers’ Beliefs About Social and Emotional Learning.” Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment 30:219-236.
  8. John. D. Mayer, David R. Caruso, and Peter Salovey. 2012. “The Growing Significance of Hot Intelligences.” American Psychologist 67:501-502.
  9. Maria R. Reyes, Marc A. Brackett, Susan E. Rivers, Mark White, and Peter Salovey. (2012). “Classroom Emotional Climate, Student Engagement, and “Academic Achievement.” Journal of Educational Psychology 104:700-712.
  10. Kee, K., Horan, W.P., Salovey, P., Kern, R.S., et al (2009). "Emotional Intelligence in Schizophrenia." Schizophrenia Research 107:61–68.
  11. Casey,J.J., Garrett, J., Brackett,M.A., & Rivers, S. (2008). "Emotional Intelligence, Relationship Quality, and Partner Selection.” In G. Geher & G. Miller, eds. Mating Intelligence, Sex, Relationships, and the Mind's Reproductive System, pp. 263 - 282. New York, NY: Lawrence Erlbaum Association.
  12. Rivers, S.E., Brackett, M.A., Salovey, P. (2008). "Measuring Emotional Intelligence as a Mental Ability in Adults and Children." In G. Boyle, G. Matthews, & D. Saklofske, eds. The SAGE Handbook of Personality Theory and Assessment 2:440-460.
  13. Brackett, M.A., Alster, B., Wolfe, C.J., Katulak, N.A., & Fale, E. (2007). “Creating an Emotionally Intelligent School District: A Skill-based Approach.” In R. Bar-On, J.G. Maree & M.J. Elias,eds, Educating People to be Emotionally Intelligent, 123-137. Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers.
  14. Ivcevic, Z., Brackett, M.A, and Mayer, J.D. (2007). "Emotional Intelligence and Emotional Creativity." Journal of Personality 75:199-236.
  15. Brackett, M. A., & Katulak, N. A. (2006). “Emotional Intelligence in the Classroom: Skill-based Training for Teachers and Students.” In J. Ciarrochi & J. D. Mayer, eds. Improving Emotional Intelligence: A Practitioners Guide, pp. 1-27. New York: Psychology Press/Taylor & Francis.
  16. Grewal, D.D., & Salovey, P. “Benefits of Emotional Intelligence.” (2006). In M. Csikszentmihalyi & I.S. Csikszentmihalyi, eds. A Life Worth Living: Contributions to Positive Psychology (pp. 104-119). Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
  17. Brackett, M.A., Warner, R.M., & Bosco, J. (2005). “Emotional Intelligence and Relationship Quality among Couples.” Personal Relationships 12:197-212.
  18. Grewal, D., & Salovey, P. (2005). “Feeling Smart: The Science of Emotional Intelligence.”American Scientist 93:330-339.
  19. Brackett, M.A., Mayer, J.D., Warner, R.M. (2004). “Emotional Intelligence and Its Relation to Everyday Behavior.” Personality & Individual Differences 36:1387-1402.
  20. Woolery, A., & Salovey, P. (2004) “Emotional Intelligence and Physical Health.” In I. Nyklicek, L. Temoshok & A.J.J.M. Vingerhoets, eds. Emotional Expression and Health: Advances in Theory, Assessment and Clinical Applications 6:154-168). New York: Harwood Academic Publishers.
  21. DeSteno, D. & Salovey, P. (2003). “Evolution and the Green-eyed Monster: Why Men and Women Are From the Same Planet After All.” Emotion Researcher 17:5-6.
  22. Pizarro, D., & Salovey, P. (2002). “Religious Systems as ‘Emotionally Intelligent’ Organizations.”Psychological Inquiry 13:220-222.
  23. Mayer, J.D., Perkins, D.M., Caruso, D.R. & Salovey, P. (2001). “Emotional Intelligence and Giftedness.” Roeper Review 23:131-137.
  24. Mayer, J.D., Caruso, D.R., & Salovey, P. (2000). "Selecting a Measure of Emotional Intelligence: The Case for Ability Scales." In R. Bar-On & J.D.A. Parker, eds. The Handbook of Emotional Intelligence, pp. 320-342. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
  25. Brackett, M. A., & Mayer, J. D. (2003). “Convergent, Discriminant, and Incremental Validity of Competing Measures of Emotional Intelligence.” Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin 29:1147-1158. MENSA Research Journal 35:21-32.
  26. Mayer, J.D., Salovey, P., & Caruso, D. (2000). “Models of Emotional Itelligence.” In R. Sternberg, ed. Handbook of intelligence, pp. 396-420. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
  27. Mayer, J.D., Caruso, D.R., & Salovey, P. (2000). “Emotional Intelligence Meets Traditional Standards for Intelligence.” Intelligence 27:267-298.
  28. Lynton, H. & Salovey, P. (1998). “The Effects of Mood on Expository Writing.” Imagination, Cognition and Personality 17:95-110.
  29. Bar-On, R. and James D. A. Parker, eds. (2000). The Handbook of Emotional Intelligence. Theory, Development, Assessment, and Application at Home, School, and in the Workplace. San Francisco: Jossey Bass.
  30. Bocchino, Rob. (1999). Emotional Literacy. to be A different Kind of Smart. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
  31. Gardner, Howard. (1993). Multiple Intelligences. New York: Basic Books.
  32. Goleman, Daniel. (1995) Emotional Intelligence. New York: Bantam Books.
  33. Goleman, Daniel. (1998) Working with Emotional Intelligence. New York: Bantam Books.
  34. Rosenthal, Norman E. (2002). The Emotional Revolution. How the New Science of Feelings Can Transform Your Life. New York: Citadel Press.
  35. Sharp, Peter. (2001). Nurturing Emotional Literacy. A Practical Guide for Teachers, Parents, and Those in the Caring Professions. London: David Fulton Publishers.
  36. Shalin, Dmitri N. (2004). "Liberalism, Affect Control, and Emotionally Intelligent Democracy." Journal of Human Rights. Vol. 4. Fall.
  37. Shalin, Dmitri N. (2005). "Legal Pragmatism, an Ideal Speech Situation, and the Fully Embodied Democratic Process." Nevada Law Journal. 5:433-478.

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