The article reviewed was The EQ Factor by Nancy Gibbs. The article was published in Time Magazine in 2001. This is a fascinating article that discusses an area of intelligence that has recently received increased attention. While for most of the Twentieth Century, a person’s IQ was considered an important aspect of his or her potential, the person’s EQ may actually be more important. While IQ measures a person’s intelligence and cognitive abilities, EQ measures the “emotional intelligence” of the individual. Gibbs’ article gives the readers a solid background on this important topic of discussion. The author discusses the neuroscience behind the field, as well as important scientific milestones in its recognition. Overall, it is an excellent article that was well-written and offers the reader a tremendous amount of valuable information.

The article begins by discussing the famous “marshmallow’ experiment. In this experiment, four year olds are offered marshmallows. If they wait to eat them, they will receive another marshmallow. The children who can postpone gratification for additional rewards have been shown to become well-adjusted later in life. The children who succumb to instant gratification have later difficulties in life. Essentially, the experiment measures the EQ of the children. This experiment is a well-known experiment. When the author opens the article with it, she also drew the reader into the discussion. The audience is aware that they already likely know about this topic.

The author then proceeds to offer the history of the EQ factor. She discusses the popular book Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman. The book was newly published at the time of the article and therefore was current in the news. The article also discusses the development of the terms emotional intelligence and EQ. Most importantly, the author shares Dr. Goleman’s view on EQ. This is not merely of value for scientists and psychologists. It has become apparent in our society that there is a fraying of civility. Dr. Goleman indicates this is obvious because of the divorce rate, the preponderance of teenagers who join street gangs, children who are murdered by their parents and other tragic aspects of the current society. It has become apparent that many in our culture lack self-awareness. Dr. Goleman believes that it is important to understand remedial emotional education is required for many in society.

The author also gives a solid background in neuroscience and emotions. She discusses the parts of the brain associated with emotional development. Research into this area has grown in recent years. Scientists now are aware that the emotional seat of the brain is the amygdala, a part of the limbic system. It has also become apparent as to why emotions developed in primitive humans. As with many aspects of human behavior, emotions developed as part of the ability for primitive humans to protect themselves. For instance, when surprised, one’s eyebrows extend upward.

This is actually to allow the eyes to widen. In this manner, vision improves by allowing more light into the eyes. This was an extremely interesting part of the article. It showed the evolutionary basis for why humans behave in various manners. However, the author relates the primitive individual to modern day humans. For instance, emotional responses still help to keep humans safe. It is important to recognize that corporations have realized the value of emotional responses as well. Emotional responses in individuals may help determine the success of individuals in sales. Optimists perform much better than pessimists in this area.

Overall, the article was well-written and fascinating. The author gives a thorough review of the subject matter. She also allowed the audience to recognize that this area is crucial to human success. While children worried about marshmallows and primitive humans worried about danger, modern day adults need to worry about their relationships, both personally and professionally.