Does emotional intelligence meet traditional standards for an intelligence? Some new data and conclusions

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Psychometrics

Background:

• Emotional intelligence (EI) is often assessed using self-report or performance-based measures.
• Performance-based EI measures are theorized to be more distinct from personality traits than self-report measures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the construct validity and reliability of the Multi-Factor Emotional Intelligence Scale (MEIS), a performance-based EI measure.
• To determine if the MEIS differentiates EI from personality and general intelligence.

Main Methods:

• A multivariate investigation involving 704 participants.
• Participants completed the MEIS, the Trait Self-Description Inventory (TSDI) for Big Five personality factors, and the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) for intelligence.
• The MEIS was analyzed using different scoring protocols (expert and consensus).

Main Results:

• The MEIS demonstrated moderate convergent validity with the ASVAB (intelligence) and minimal divergent validity with the TSDI (personality).
• Contradictory findings emerged between expert and consensus scoring protocols for the MEIS.
• Analyses revealed issues with the MEIS's factor structure and subscale reliability.

Conclusions:

• The reliability and validity of the MEIS as a measure of emotional intelligence are questionable.
• Current evidence suggests performance-based EI measures, like the MEIS, may not reliably operationalize EI as a distinct construct.