Investigation of the construct of trait emotional intelligence in children

Trait Emotional Intelligence and the Big Five

Trait emotional intelligence (EI) is a constellation of emotion-related self-perceptions located at the lower levels of personality hierarchies. This article examines the validity of the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire–Child Form and investigates its relationships with Big Five factors and cognitive ability. A total of 690 children (317 Males; M Age = 10.25 years; SD = 1.58 years) completed the TEIQue-CF, the Raven Progressive, Matrices and the Big Five Questionnaire; in addition, a subsample of 136 participants answered to Depression and Anxiety scales. Results evidenced that TEIQue-CF is a reliable measure of Trait EI that is partially determined by all of the Big Five factors but independent of cognitive ability. Trait EI predicts depression and anxiety scores over and above the five higher order personality dimensions.

Measures of Emotional Intelligence and Social Acceptability in Children: A Concurrent Validity Study

The concurrent validity of two measures of Emotional Intelligence (EI), one considered a trait measure, the other an ability measure, was examined by administering the Emotional Quotient Inventory: Youth Version (EQi:YV; Bar-On & Parker, 2000), the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test: Youth Version (MSCEIT:YV; Mayer, Salovey, & Caruso, in press), and a sociometric measure to 102 upper elementary students in the U.S. Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients across various scores of the EI instruments ranged from −.02 ( p > .05) to .39 ( p < .01), suggesting the instruments are measuring somewhat different constructs. Scores on two sets of theoretically similar scales across instruments yielded significant correlation but others did not. Results from dependent t tests showed no significant difference between overall mean scores of the EQi:YV and MSCEIT:YV ( p < .05). Only the Interpersonal and General Mood scales of the EQi:YV correlate significantly with the sociometric ( p < .05). Implications for further research in EI are discussed.

Trait emotional intelligence influences on academic achievement and school behaviour

BACKGROUND. Trait emotional intelligence (trait EI or trait emotional self-efficacy) refers to individuals' emotion-related self-perceptions (Petrides, Furnham, & Mavroveli, 2007). The children's trait EI sampling domain provides comprehensive coverage of their affective personality. Preliminary evidence shows that the construct has important implications for children's psychological and behavioural adjustment. AIMS. This study investigates the associations between trait EI and school outcomes, such as performance in reading, writing, and maths, peer-rated behaviour and social competence, and self-reported bullying behaviours in a sample of primary school children. It also examines whether trait EI scores differentiate between children with and without special educational needs (SEN). SAMPLE. The sample comprised 565 children (274 boys and 286 girls) between the ages of 7 and 12 (M((age)) = 9.12 years, SD= 1.27 years) attending three English state primary schools. METHOD. Pupils completed the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire-Child Form (TEIQue-CF), the Guess Who peer assessment, the Peer-Victimization Scale, and the Bullying Behaviour Scale. Additional data on achievement and SEN were collected from the school archives. RESULTS. As predicted by trait EI theory, associations between trait EI and academic achievement were modest and limited to Year 3 children. Higher trait EI scores were related to more nominations from peers for prosocial behaviours and fewer nominations for antisocial behaviour as well as lower scores on self-reported bulling behaviours. Furthermore, SEN students scored lower on trait EI compared to students without SEN. CONCLUSIONS. Trait EI holds important and multifaceted implications for the socialization of primary schoolchildren.

Trait Emotional Intelligence and Academic Performance: Controlling for the Effects of IQ, Personality, and Self-Concept

This article analyses the relationship between trait emotional intelligence and academic performance, controlling for the effects of IQ, personality, and self-concept dimensions. A sample of 290 preadolescents (11-12 years old) took part in the study. The instruments used were (a) Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire—Adolescents Short Form (TEIQue-ASF); (b) Children’s Personality Questionnaire (CPQ; Form A, Part A); (c) IQ test TIDI-2; (d) Adaptation Questionnaire (CAI-1); and (e) academic performance. A positive and significant correlation coefficient between trait EI measured by the TEIQue-ASF and general academic performance was found. The TEIQue-ASF showed incremental validity to predict general academic performance, after controlling for intelligence, personality, and self-concept characteristics.

Exploring the relationships between trait emotional intelligence and objective socio-emotional outcomes in childhood

BACKGROUND

Trait emotional intelligence (trait EI or trait emotional self-efficacy) is a constellation of emotion-related self-perceptions and dispositions located at the lower levels of personality hierarchies. This paper examines the validity of this construct, as operationalized by the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire-Child Form (TEIQue-CF), in primary schoolchildren.

AIMS

The main aim was to examine the construct validity of trait EI in middle and late childhood by exploring its relationships with cognitive ability, emotion perception, and social behaviour.

SAMPLE

The sample comprised 140 children aged between 8 and 12 years (M=9.26 years, SD=1.00 year; 63 girls) from two English state primary schools.

METHOD

Pupils completed the TEIQue-CF, the standard progressive matrices (SPM), the guess who peer assessment, the social skills training (SST) test, and the assessment of children's emotion skills (ACES) during formal class periods. The procedure took approximately two hours with a short break between assessments.

RESULTS

Trait EI scores were positively related both to peer-rated prosocial behaviour and to overall peer competence. They also predicted emotion perception accuracy beyond overall peer competence. As hypothesized in trait EI theory, the construct was unrelated to IQ (Raven's matrices) and academic performance.

CONCLUSIONS

Trait EI is successfully operationalized through the TEIQue-CF and has important and multifaceted implications for the socialization of primary schoolchildren.