EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE TEST

Emotional Intelligence Test

Emotional Intelligence Test

Emotional Intelligence

Recent research suggests that emotional intelligence is important for work settings (Carmeli, 2003; Jordan, Ashkanasy, Hartel, & Hooper, 2002) and classrooms (Miller et al., submitted for publication; Petrides, Frederickson, & Furnham, 2004). Emotional intelligence (EI) refers to emotional skills involving accurately perceiving and expressing emotions, integrating emotions with cognitive processes, understanding emotions and their implications for various situations, and managing emotions (Mayer & Salovey, 1997). Research on EI has been limited by debates over conceptualization and measurement (Davies, Stankov, & Roberts, 1998). Some adhere to a theoretical model where EI consists of emotional abilities (e.g., Mayer, Caruso, & Salovey, 1999). Others suggest EI encompasses a variety of emotional skills, including aspects of personality (e.g., Bar-On, 1997; Goleman, 1995). The former are ability-based models and the latter are mixed (Mayer, Caruso, & Salovey, 2000) or trait-based models (Petrides & Furnham, 2000). The present is among the first to investigate the influence of ability-based EI on performance (see also Day & Carroll, 2004) and stressor appraisals.

Stress is defined by how individuals evaluate themselves in relation to their environment (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984). Threat appraisals result when situational demands are believed to exceed available coping resources, whereas challenge appraisals result when adequate resources are believed to outweigh situational demands. Threat and challenge appraisals are associated with different behavioral and physiological outcomes (Tomaka, Blascovich, Kelsey, & Leitten, 1993) and affective responses (Schneider, 2004): challenged individuals exhibit physiological challenge, better task performance, and more positive and less negative affect than those threatened. Factors promoting challenge might enhance working conditions and outcomes.

Emotional perception, facilitating cognition, emotional understanding, and emotional management are the four dimensions of EI (Mayer & Salovey, 1997). Emotional perception (EP) involves the ability to notice emotions accurately in the self and environment, and to express them well in social settings. Emotional perception should aid in discriminating between environmental threats and benefits. This facet may be important for adapting to stressors by directing attention toward stress-related cues in the environment. Facilitating cognition (FC) involves using and generating emotions to assist cognitive processes. Individuals proficient at integrating emotions and cognition may use positive emotions to foster creativity (Isen, Daubman, & Nowicki, 1987), process information heuristically and more effortlessly (Schwarz, 1990), and use negative emotions to maintain attentional focus when needed (Bless, Bohner, Schwarz, & Strack, 1990). The experiential area of EI, comprised by EP and FC, includes perceiving and using emotions without requiring an understanding of them (Mayer, Salovey, & Caruso, 2000).

The strategic EI area is comprised of understanding and managing emotions (Mayer et al., 2000). Emotional understanding (EU) involves identifying emotions, being clear about ways they are formed and blend, and their causes and consequences. Being able to understand emotions helps individuals identify (label) their emotions. Understanding emotions should reduce unproductive emotion-focused coping (i.e., reduce rumination) and facilitate problem- or emotion-focused coping facilitating adaptation. Emotional management (EM) involves maintaining and altering emotions in the self and others (enhancing positive or reducing negative emotions as needed; Mayer & ...