The ability model of emotional intelligence: Searching for valid measures

Abstract

"In press" Personality and Individual Differences 2 The ability model of emotional intelligence: Searching for valid measuresCurrent measures of ability emotional intelligence (EI)-in particular the well-known MayerSalovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT)--suffer from several limitations, including low discriminant validity and questionable construct and incremental validity. We show that the MSCEIT is largely predicted by personality dimensions, general intelligence, and demographics having multiple R's with the MSCEIT branches up to .66; for the general EI factor this relation was even stronger (Multiple R = .76). As concerns the factor structure of the MSCEIT, we found support for four first-order factors, which had differential relations with personality, but no support for a higher-order global EI factor. We discuss implications for employing the MSCEIT, including (a) using the single branches scores rather than the total score, (b) always controlling for personality and general intelligence to ensure unbiased parameter estimates in the EI factors, and (c) correcting for measurement error. Failure to account for these methodological aspects may severely compromise predictive validity testing. We also discuss avenues for the improvement of ability-based tests.

Selective attention to emotional stimuli: What IQ and openness do, and emotional intelligence does not

“…Mayer, Salovey, & Caruso, 2002). Also, in this version of the test the correlation of the two scoring systems, general and expert consensus, is higher than the previous versions with correlations ranging from .93 to .99; this high correlation, between the general and expert consensus, is not necessarily a strong point because having lay individuals correlate highly with experts suggests that the test may be tapping common knowledge and not expert performance (Fiori & Antonakis, 2011). Nonetheless, this ability EI test is reported to be incrementally valid given that it is apparently orthogonal to neuroticism, extraversion, and conscientiousness, and modestly correlated with agreeableness and openness (Mayer, Roberts, & Barsade, 2008) as well as with general intelligence (IQ) (Brackett & Mayer, 2003).…”

“…From a theoretical point of view only the latter approach endorses correlations between EI and personality traits. Nevertheless, more recent research (which has accounted for measurement error in the variables) has shown that EI as measured by an EI ability test (i.e., the MSCEIT) significantly overlaps not only with IQ, but also with personality (Fiori & Antonakis, 2011;Schulte, Ree, & Carretta, 2004). In principle, there is no drawback in finding correlations between ability measures and personality.…”

“…Theorists of emotional intelligence claim that EI concerns the capacity "to carry out sophisticated information processing about emotions and emotion-relevant stimuli and to use this information as a guide to thinking and behavior" (Mayer, Salovey, & Caruso, 2008, p. 503); this suggestion is what provided the impetus for our study because how EI is related to emotion processing is still unclear. Furthermore, most studies either do not include important related constructs (e.g., personality and intelligence) or ignore the effects of measurement error, which can engender misleading results (Fiori & Antonakis, 2011). …”

The influence of emotional intelligence (EI) on coping and mental health in adolescence: Divergent roles for trait and ability EI

“…In the present sample, branch-level scores were only moderately intercorrelated and demonstrated differential patterning with the total score (see table 1). Hence, subsequent analyses were conducted at total and branch level to facilitate comparison with (global) TEI yet illuminate any divergent skill-based effects that could be masked by aggregation (Fiori & Antonakis, 2011).…”

Validación transcultural de la Escala de Inteligencia Emocional de Schutte

“…Los críticos de esta perspectiva (Roberts, MacCann, Matthews y Zeidner, 2010;Van Rooy, Whitman y Viswesvaran, 2010), argumentan que las escalas desarrolladas para medir la IE se solapan con algunas medidas de personalidad, lo que contribuye a disminuir su validez discriminante. El modelo de habilidad cognitiva (Mayer y Salovey, 1993;Mayer, Salovey y Caruso, 2002), considera a la IE como un conjunto de habilidades para percibir, valorar y expresar emociones adaptativamente; entender las emociones y cogniciones emocionales, y regular los afectos para promover el crecimiento intelectual (Fiori y Antonakis, 2011).…”