- Emotional intelligence describes emotional abilities or competencies that group together and that involve drawing on emotion in adaptive ways.
- Emotional intelligence includes adaptive perception, understanding, utilisation and management of emotion in the self and others.
- In some conceptualisations of emotional intelligence abilities that build on these competencies are included; such additional qualities include empathy, social skills and ability to deal with stress.
Trait & Ability
- Ability emotional intelligence may be latent, while trait emotional intelligence describes competencies that are typically shown.
- Ability emotional intelligence is generally assessed through performance measures. A performance measure sets tasks for respondents and assesses maximal ability. An example of a performance task item is presenting the picture of a facial expression and asking respondents to judge what emotions are displayed.
- Emotional intelligence can also be conceptualised as trait (or typical) functioning. Trait functioning has been assessed both by self-report and observer report.
- An example of a self-report item assessing trait functioning is one that asks participants how true a statement such as “By looking at their facial expressions, I recognise the emotions people are experiencing,” are for them.
- Ability emotional intelligence is associated with greater self-reported satisfaction with social relationships and others’ rating of social abilities, higher supervisor ratings of interpersonal sensitivity and leadership ability, higher salaries and more promotions, and less drug and alcohol use.
- Trait emotional intelligence is related to various intra and interpersonal characteristics and outcomes. These include better physical and mental health, greater subjective well-being, better personal relationships and relationship satisfaction, and fewer substance, alcohol and gambling related problems.
- In a recent study Schutte & Malouff, in press, found that higher levels of emotional intelligence were associated with greater positive affect, life satisfaction and mindfulness, and lower negative affect. Mindfulness consists of non-evaluative awareness and focus on the present and greater mindfulness is related to various good outcomes.
- In our recent study, emotional intelligence mediated between mindfulness and higher positive affect, lower negative affect, and greater life satisfaction. We would like to follow up on this finding by exploring whether increasing mindfulness can result in increased emotional intelligence.
- Schutte, Malouff & Hine, 201,1 examined to what extent ability emotional intelligence and trait emotional intelligence respectively are associated with alcohol problems and with heavy episodic drinking (binge drinking).
- Both lower ability emotional intelligence and lower trait emotional intelligence were significantly associated with more alcohol problems and more heavy episodic drinking and each acounted for variance in drinking not accounted for by the other.
- Trait emotional intelligence mediated the relationship between ability emotional intelligence and level of both alcohol problems and heavy episodic drinking. This suggests that trait emotional intelligence may build on ability emotional intelligence in influencing drinking problems.
- Most programs attempting to increase emotional intelligence have focused on increasing a range of emotional and social skills (mixed model of emotional intelligence) through encouragement of insight, provision of information and practice of skills.
- Generally the hope of such programs has been that if emotional intelligence increases, other desirable outcomes will also increase.
Outcome of a Sample Program Specifically Intended to Enhance Emotional Intelligence
- In an intervention with beginning university students we presented information on emotional intelligence and related skills and provided students with the opportunity to reflect on and practice these skills over the course of a semester (Schutte & Malouff, 2002). Presentation of information was via readings and lectures. Reflection was encouraged through journal writing and small group discussions. Practice was provided through role plays.
- Compared to students who did not go through an emotional intelligence development program, the students in the emotional intelligence intervention group showed a greater increase in emotional intelligence at the end of the semester. Additionally, at the end of the academic year the retention rate was significantly higher for those students who were in the intervention.
- A similar recent study (Nelis et al., 2009) with young adults also found that presentation of information on emotional intelligence coupled with practice experiences increased emotional intelligence and that this increase was maintained over six months.
Schutte et al’s (1998, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2011) findings on positive characteristics associated with emotional intelligence .
- Intrapersonal characteristics: Those who have higher emotional intelligence tend to be more optimistic, have less depression, have more characteristic positive mood, and are more resistant to negative situational influences.
- Interpersonal characteristics: Those with high emotional intelligence tend to be more empathic towards others, cooperate more with others, and have better relationships with others.
- Life adaptation: Those with high emotional intelligence have fewer substance abuse problems, have better academic achievement, and generally be more successful across situations
- Task performance: Those with higher emotional intelligence tend to persist more on tasks
Situational Factors and Emotional Intelligence
- Some situations prompt adaptive emotional functioning (Schutte et al, 2008)
- Those higher in emotional intelligence are more likely to enter such situations (Schutte et al, 2008)
- Ability emotional intelligence can be primed (Schutte & Malouff, under review)