AUS workshop explains emotional intelligence behind drivers

Emotional intelligence is understood as a good approach in understanding an individual's driving skills as it identifies their behavior management, personal decisions, and social competence according to the "Are you an emotionally intelligent driver" workshop held at American University of Sharjah (AUS) on Thursday, March 3, 2016.

Dr. Rana Raddawi, AUS faculty senate president and organizer of the Road Safety Awareness campaign, which started on March 1, 2016, held a presentation that focused on drivers' emotions and expressions as she explained emotion as a "function of social and cultural development and forces".

The presentation introduced students to definition of emotional intelligence as part of social intelligence in which an individual is able to monitor feelings of their own as well as those of others with the aim of guiding their thinking and actions.

Dr. Raddawi also elaborated on the definition from different angles, explaining different factors that constitute emotional intelligence such as being self-aware, management and control of emotions, empathy towards other's emotions, and social skills, that is, interpersonal effectiveness.

The presentation also focused on ways to measure emotional intelligence such as the Multifactor Emotional Intelligence Scale; where test takers performs tasks designed to assess their ability to perceive, understand and identify emotions, and the Seligman Attributional Style Questionnaire; designed to test optimism and pessimism, and Emotional Competence Inventory; designed to assess the emotional competencies of individuals.

The presentation by Dr. Raddawi was the last of its series and concluded with a discussion about emotional intelligence and driving.

This university's first Road Safety Awareness Week was launched by AUS Chancellor Dr. Björn Kjerfve on Monday, with the primary mission to change the behavior and attitudes of reckless drivers.

The campaign has been organized by the AUS Faculty Senate, on the occasion of the GCC Road Safety Week. It will run until March 3, 2016. Chancellor Kjerfve opened the week with a welcome speech stressing the importance of road safety awareness. Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Rana Raddawi, President of Faculty Senate, pointed out that the campaign has been initiated this year in collaboration with the administration, academic units and the university's Office of Student Affairs.

The program aims to promote road safety among all members of the campus community, as well as among visitors, such taxi and bus drivers and delivery drivers. The program emphasizes the importance of starting with education and is designed to be sustainable, with a road safety-themed event every year.

The campaign panel included members of the Sharjah Police; ER and trauma doctors; the AUS Safety and Security officers; as well as a student, who discussed issues related to road safety and helped AUS community members have a better understanding of safety regulations and measures. A number of videos will be shown throughout the week that will feature a filmed visit to victims of car accidents, testimonial and informative videos about road safety on campus.