Effectiveness of an Intensive Three-Day Emotional Intelligence Training

Abstract

Emotional Intelligence (EI) is considered an ability which helps to recognize and regulate of one's own and others' emotions. EI was suggested to be one of the important factors for maintaining a successful personal and professional life. EI is considered as an ability that can be developed through practice. Thus, numerous studies attempted to examine effects of EI training programs. This study examined the effects of an intensive three-day training program on EI, difficulties in emotional regulation, reflective functioning, and psychological symptoms. The participants were 18 adults in the treatment group and 18 adults in the control group. The results showed that the EI training have led to a significant decrease in difficulties in emotional regulation over three days of training among participants in the treatment group. In particular, participants' in the treatment group impulse control difficulties decreased, whereas such a decrease was not observed in the control group. There was some increase in the Reflective Functioning Uncertainity scores of the participants' in the treatment group. There were no significant changes in overall emotional intelligence and psychological symptoms. The findings suggested that the intensive EI training led to better impulse control ability and an increase in mentalizing capacity.