With Great Sensitivity Comes Great Management: How Emotional Hypersensitivity Can Be the Superpower of Emotional Intelligence

With the goal of furthering the understanding and investigation of emotional intelligence (EI), the present paper aims to address some of the characteristics that make EI a useful skill and, ultimately, a predictor of important life outcomes. Recently, the construct of hypersensitivity has been presented as one such necessary function, suggesting that high-EI individuals are more sensitive to emotions and emotional information than low-EI individuals. In this contribution, we aim to shift the perception of hypersensitivity, which is mostly seen with a negative connotation in the literature, to the perspective that hypersensitivity has the capacity to result in both negative and positive outcomes. We advance this possibility by discussing the characteristics that distinguish hypersensitive individuals who are also emotionally intelligent from those who are not. Based on an emotion information processing approach, we posit that emotional intelligence stems from the ability to manage one's level of hypersensitivity: high-EI individuals are those who are better able to use hypersensitivity as an adaptive rather than a disabling feature. Ultimately, we propose that hypersensitivity can represent a sort of "superpower" that, when paired with regulatory processes that balance this hypersensitivity, characterizes the functioning of high-EI individuals and accounts for the positive outcomes reported in the literature.

Person-Centered Study of Cognitive Ability Dimensions Using Latent Profile Analysis

A number of researchers have called for additional investigations into cognitive ability and intelligence in recent years. This paper utilized a person-centered approach, multiple cognitive ability dimensions, and latent profile analysis to investigate multivariate relationships among cognitive ability dimensions in a sample of 1681 Army recruits. Six cognitive ability dimensions were assessed via the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery. Performance measures were obtained from supervisor ratings of Effort, Discipline, and Peer Leadership. Using latent profile analysis, the results identified five distinct cognitive profiles or classes, which differed significantly across the three types of supervisor ratings.

Emotional Intelligence Profiles and Job Search Correlates in the Context of the School-to-Work Transition

The current study adopted a person-centered approach to explore emotional intelligence profiles among 1582 university students and investigated whether different combinations of self-focused (i.e., intrapersonal) and other-focused (i.e., interpersonal) emotion appraisal and regulation emerged between women and men. We also examined the relations of these profiles with job search self-efficacy and job search clarity. Four distinct profiles emerged for the women and men that differed in terms of level and shape. Furthermore, these profiles predicted job search self-efficacy significantly for the women and men, but they predicted only job search clarity among the men. These results provide evidence about the importance of differentiating profiles of emotional intelligence between women and men and to be particularly attentive to gender stereotypes. Second, these results open new avenues for tailor-made career counseling interventions for university students facing the school-to-work transition.

Academic Success, Emotional Intelligence, Well-Being and Resilience of First-Year Forestry Students

Academic success is conceptualized as a multifactor model, achievement and persistence after the first year of study being considered the main learning outcomes. In this area, the findings are inconsistent, depending on the academic context, individual characteristics and diversity of psychological measures. Here, we conducted two related correlational studies to analyze variables of the emotional domain, as emotional intelligence (2017–2019), emotions, well-being and resilience (2018–2020), dropout intention, perceived barriers to completion at the beginning of first years of study in forestry, academic performance and real dropout at the end of the first year of study and several socio-demographic variables. The two studies focused on undergraduate students and included 367 and 227 participants, respectively. Forestry students with higher academic performance report higher accomplishment and engagement and feel weak negative emotions concerning aversive academic assessment compared with students with lower academic performance and students that abandoned their studies. Female students and students with full ECTS load at the end of the first year use their emotions more effectively, have reported lower dropout intention and lower perception of barriers to completion of study, and have higher GPA admission and expected GPA. Performance at the end of the first year is explained by GPA admission, relationships with high school teachers, expected GPA, gender, and academic resilience. Dropout intention is explained by barriers to completion of studies, general negative emotions and negative affect related to threatened assessment situations, and managing others’ emotions. Our findings may help develop intervention measures at the individual and organizational level.

Psychological resources, dropout risk and academic performance in university students – pattern-oriented analysis and prospective study of Hungarian freshmen

A growing number of studies support the idea that academic performance is based on specific psychological resources and cognitive abilities. As early university dropout is a widespread problem, it is increasingly important to explore which psychological resources can enhance learning, academic motivation, and achievement during the transition from high school to university. The goal of our study was to explore the psychological resources at the start of the studies linked to subsequent academic achievement. Coping mechanisms, time perspective, self-esteem, mindset, motivation, and test anxiety were measured using questionnaires in a voluntary online study among first-year university students (N = 1113, 53.0 % female). Using exploratory factor analysis, we identified three different factors of psychological resources: ‘Academic achievement focus’, ‘Self-confidence’, and 'Search for interests’. Based on the factor scores, hierarchical cluster analysis identified five subgroups of students. These subgroups showed differential association with first semester GPA and the number of attained credits. The combination of a focus on high academic achievement but low self-confidence could be traced as characteristics predicting the highest risk of decreased achievement and loss of credits. These results indicate that training in psychological resources could support academic achievement and prevent university dropout.

Teaching emotional and social competencies: Efficacy of a work readiness program designed for vulnerable youth

BACKGROUND: As emotional and social competency training proliferates within a work readiness context, concerns remain regarding their efficacy. Data on these programs tends to be scarce and outcome objectives are often poorly defined. OBJECTIVE: Authors developed and tested a work readiness emotional and social competency program specifically designed for at-risk young adults, tailored with best practices in mind. METHOD: 84 clients of a community organization that provides employment support to young adults with disabilities (48 men and 36 women) with a mean age of 28.17 years (SD = 11.64) completed measures of emotional intelligence and alexithymia on either side of the 4-week intervention. RESULTS: Men’s interpersonal scores and women’s adaptability scores showed significant improvement across the intervention. In addition, women’s scores in both identifying and describing feelings improved significantly, as did men’s scores in describing feelings. CONCLUSIONS: Within the context of work readiness, participants in an intervention to improve emotional and social competencies can see key improvements to competencies linked to occupational attainment.

Stability and Change in Trait Emotional Intelligence in Emerging Adulthood: A Four-Year Population-Based Study

Trait Emotional Intelligence (EI)-related competencies are in growing demand in educational and vocational settings. The present study assesses the developmental dynamics of trait EI in emerging adulthood by capitalizing on the inclusion of a measure of trait EI in the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth (NLSCY) called the Emotional Quotient Inventory: Mini (EQ-i: Mini). A sample of 1064 young adults (50% female) from ages 20-21 to 24-25 years was used to assess 4-year rank-order stability and mean-level change of trait EI, as well as whether the EQ-i: Mini functions equivalently over time (longitudinal measurement invariance). Results revealed full configural, partial metric, and scalar invariance of the construct for this time period. The Stress Management subscale achieved invariance at the residual level. After controlling for partial non-invariance, moderate levels of rank-order stability coefficients were found, suggesting malleability of the construct during emerging adulthood. Consistent with the maturity principle, there was a moderate increase in trait EI (specifically in the Interpersonal and Adaptability subscales). The malleability of trait EI suggests opportunities for enhancing socioemotional competencies in emerging adults, such as through formal and continuing education programing, on-the-job training, and targeted employment interventions.

Predicting the Pursuit of Post-Secondary Education: Role of Trait Emotional Intelligence in a Longitudinal Study

Trait Emotional Intelligence (EI) is a constellation of emotional self-perceptions and dispositions related to perceiving, understanding, using, and managing emotions of self and others. Although higher trait EI has been implicated in post-secondary success among university students. There is lack of evidence for whether it predicts the pursuit of post-secondary education (PSE) in emerging adulthood. This was the first study to investigate the role of trait EI in PSE pursuit using a large, nationally-representative sample of Canadian young adults who participated in the National Longitudinal Survey for Children and Youth (NLSCY). Participants in this dataset reported on their PSE status at three biennial waves (age 20-21, 22-23, and 24-25), and completed a four-factor self-report scale for trait EI (Emotional Quotient Inventory: Mini) at ages 20-21 and 24-25. Higher trait EI subscale scores were significantly associated with greater likelihood of PSE participation both concurrently, and at 2- and 4-year follow-ups. Overall, these associations were larger for men than women. The finding that these links persisted over a multi-year period is particularly promising, as it represents an important validation step toward further investment in socioemotional competencies as part of youth development interventions.

Emotional intelligence and attentional bias for threat-related emotion under stress

Emotional intelligence (EI) can buffer potentially harmful effects of situational and chronic stressors to safeguard psychological wellbeing (e.g., Mikolajczak, Petrides, Coumans & Luminet, ), yet understanding how and when EI operates to promote adaptation remains a research priority. We explored whether EI (both trait and ability) modulated early attentional processing of threat-related emotion under conditions of stress. Using a dot probe paradigm, eye movement (fixation to emotive facial stimuli, relative to neutral) and manual reaction time data were collected from 161 adults aged 18-57 years (mean age = 25.24; SD = 8.81) exposed to either a stressful (failure task) or non-stressful (control) situation. Whilst emotion management ability and trait wellbeing corresponded to avoidance of negative emotion (angry and sad respectively), high trait sociability and emotionality related to a bias for negative emotions. With most effects not restricted to stressful conditions, it is unclear whether EI underscores 'adaptive' processing, which carries implications for school-based social and emotional learning programs.

Does Emotional Intelligence have a "Dark" Side? A Review of the Literature

Emotional intelligence (EI) was once touted as the panacea for a satisfying and successful life. Consequently, there has been much emphasis on developing interventions to promote this personal resource in applied settings. Despite this, a growing body of research has begun to identify particular contexts when EI does not appear helpful and may even be deleterious to a person, or those they have contact with, suggesting a “dark” side to the construct. This paper provides a review of emergent literature to examine when, why and how trait and ability EI may contribute to negative intrapersonal (psychological ill-health; stress reactivity) and interpersonal outcomes (emotional manipulation; antisocial behavior). Negative effects were found to operate across multiple contexts (health, academic, occupational) however these were often indirect, suggesting that outcomes depend on pre-existing qualities of the person. Literature also points to the possibility of “optimal” levels of EI—both within and across EI constructs. Uneven profiles of self-perceptions (trait facets) or actual emotional skills contribute to poorer outcomes, particularly emotional awareness, and management. Moreover, individuals who possess high levels of skill but have lower self-perceptions of their abilities fare worse that those with more balanced profiles. Future research must now improve methodological and statistical practices to better capture EI in context and the negative corollary associated with high levels.

Developing Emotional Intelligence as a key psychological resource reservoir for sustained student success

Orientation: The dire educational situation in South Africa has urged researchers to investigate predictors of sustained student success. Research purpose: To investigate to what extent an Emotional Intelligence (EI) intervention impacts the level of EI, and critical psychological resources (affect balance, cognitive thoughtpattern strategies as a sub-component of self-leadership, perceived stress and academic selfefficacy) necessary for student success.Motivation for the study: Non-cognitive personal resources (such as EI) may indirectly contribute to student success. Research design, approach and method: A controlled experimental research design was conducted to test the effect of an EI developmental intervention on affect balance, academic self-efficacy, cognitive thought-pattern strategies, and perceived stress, using a sample of first-year students (n = 114). Main findings: Limited support of the utility of the intervention to increase EI emerged; whilst stronger support emerged that academic self-efficacy was affected by the intervention. No direct empirical support for the impact of increased EI on the other measured psychological resources was obtained, although some trends in the data could be observed. Practical/managerial implications: Investments in EI developmental interventions, as part of student-support initiatives, should be further investigated to sufficiently justify its potential to influence sustained student success.Contribution/value-add: The results of this study lay a foundation that suggest EI could be malleable and influence academic self-efficacy. More research is necessary regarding supplementary teaching and learning initiatives focused on non-cognitive personal resources, which are complementary to the academic offering at tertiary institutions, with the expectation of increasing the student success rates.

Self-Report Assessments of Emotional Competencies

This Special Issue of the Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment offers a critical appraisal of the validity, applied utility, and limitations of self-report assessments of emotional competencies. Using self-concept theory as an integrative theoretical framework, this introductory editorial highlights key methodological and validity issues raised in the contributing articles: (a) distinction between emotional competence self-perceptions and objectively measured abilities, (b) effects of response biases and respondents’ age on the psychometric properties of self-reports, (c) importance of adopting a multi-dimensional assessment strategy, and (d) various aspects of construct validity (conceptual definitions and paradigms, gender differences, relationships with basic personality, mechanisms and scope of prediction). The added value of conceptualizing emotional competence self-reports as self-concepts (as proposed in this article) is illustrated in the discussion of practical implications, outstanding questions, and directions for future research on the meaning and uses of these assessments.

Assessing Perceived Emotional Intelligence in Adolescents

Adolescence is a critical period of life during which significant psychosocial adjustment occurs and in which emotional intelligence plays an essential role. This article provides validity evidence for the Trait Meta-Mood Scale–24 (TMMS-24) scores based on an item response theory (IRT) approach. A sample of 2,693 Spanish adolescents ( M = 16.52 years and SD = 1.38), of whom 51.1% were boys, completed the TMMS-24. The three-dimensional structure of the TMMS-24 was confirmed, showing adequate psychometric properties for assessing adolescents. With one exception, the IRT analyses showed that the items have a reasonable fit to Samejima’s Gradual Response Model. In addition, all three dimensions exhibit the best measurement precision around the mean of the latent trait levels. Again, with one exception (Item 23), all items have a moderate to very high discrimination power.

Trait Emotional Intelligence, Anxiety Sensitivity, and Experiential Avoidance in Stress Reactivity and Their Improvement Through Psychological Methods

Stress pervades daily society, often with deleterious consequences for those prone to react intensely to it. Intervention techniques to attenuate stress reactivity are thus paramount. With that goal in mind, researchers have sought to identify and alter malleable psychological dispositional variables that influence stress reactivity. Trait emotional intelligence (TEI), anxiety sensitivity (AS), and experiential avoidance (EA) are increasingly receiving attention in these research efforts. The self-reported emotional component of stress reactivity has been emphasized in investigations and is our focus. Specifically, this paper overviews the role of TEI, AS, and EA in self-reported stress responses. We also discuss empirically supported psychological methods to adjust suboptimal levels of these variables in normal populations. Both psycho-educational (information, skills) and mindfulness-based interventions (specific mindfulness therapies or components) are covered. Findings include that (1) TEI, AS, and EA are each correlated with the emotional component of stress reactivity to both naturalistic and lab-based stressors; (2) preliminary support currently exists for psycho-educational intervention of TEI and AS but is lacking for EA; (3) adequate evidence supports mindfulness-based interventions to target EA, with very limited but encouraging findings suggesting mindfulness methods improve TEI and AS; and (4) although more research is needed, stress management approaches based on mindfulness may well target all three of these psychological variables and thus appear particularly promising. Encouragingly, some methods to modify dispositional variables (e.g., a mindfulness-based format of guided self-help) are easily disseminated and potentially applicable to the general public.

Associations Between Emotional Intelligence, Socio-Emotional Adjustment, and Academic Achievement in Childhood

This study examined the relationship between trait emotional intelligence (EI) with children’s socio-emotional adjustment at school and academic achievement. Children aged 8 to 10 ( n = 106) and 11 to 13 years ( n = 99) completed the youth version of the Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-i: YV). Their socio-emotional adjustment was measured with scales from the Teacher’s Report Form assessing socio-emotional problems and adaptive functioning at school. Trait EI was positively correlated with aspects of children’s adaptive functioning and academic achievement only in the 11- to 13-year-old but not in the 8- to 10-year-old group. Our results illustrate the importance of taking age into consideration when assessing the relationship between trait EI with socio-emotional adjustment at school and academic achievement. The consequences and limitations of these findings are discussed.