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Emotional intelligence in incarcerated men with psychopathic traits
Elsa Ermer1, Rachel E Kahn, Peter Salovey
1Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, The Mind Research Network, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87106, USA. eermer@mrn.org
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
|February 15, 2012
Summary
Psychopathy is linked to lower emotional intelligence (EI). This study found that individuals with psychopathy demonstrate deficits in perceiving, managing, and reasoning about emotions, impacting social interactions.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Social Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
Background:
- Emotional intelligence (EI) involves perceiving, managing, and reasoning about emotions in oneself and others.
- Psychopathy is characterized by social interaction difficulties and impaired emotional task performance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between emotional intelligence and psychopathy.
- To examine EI abilities in incarcerated men with psychopathy.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT) to assess EI abilities.
- Employed the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) to measure psychopathy.
- Analyzed data from 374 incarcerated men, controlling for general intelligence.
Main Results:
- A significant negative association was found between psychopathy and emotional intelligence.
- Individuals with higher levels of psychopathy exhibited lower EI scores.
- Psychopathy was linked to impairments across various EI abilities.
Conclusions:
- Psychopathy is associated with deficits in a broad range of emotional intelligence abilities.
- Emotional intelligence is a crucial factor in understanding the social and emotional impairments seen in psychopathy.
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