Emotional intelligence (EI) includes abilities for perceiving, understanding, and managing emotion-laden encounters. In this review, definitions of EI and relations to other concepts are discussed. Particularly important to establishing scientific credibility are measurement issues. Thus, this review covers attempts to assess EI through questionnaire and objective tests. The review also includes an evaluation of the coherence of emerging psychological theory supporting EI and its compatibility with existing ability and personality models. In addition, the practical utility of EI in applied settings is discussed. It is concluded that current evidence does not support the concept of an overarching general EI factor. However, ‘objective’ testing may uncover some competencies that are distinct from existing psychological constructs, which may be particularly useful in applied settings.