What our Faces and Words Convey: An AI Assisted Behavioral Approach to Emotional Intelligence Development in an Undergraduate Teams Course

This poster explores the development of emotional intelligence in leadership and team dynamics, addressing limitations of traditional methods that rely on perceptual measures which serve as proxies for leader or follower behaviors (Banks et al., 2023). Participants analyze verbal and nonverbal communication patterns from team meetings throughout a semester-long project using content analysis and emotion-detection AI (Imentiv.ai), which leverages the Facial Action Coding System (FACS) (Rosenberg & Ekman, 2020). The intervention involves video recording three team meetings at key stages (early, mid-point, and end) to capture communication changes over the team lifecycle. Individualized feedback, combining verbal and nonverbal analysis, is provided to students, along with opportunities for reflection. This approach aims to identify meaningful patterns in communication, behavioral changes and EQ development, offering insights into team effectiveness by improving teamwork and developing emotional intelligence.