The Relationship Between Trait Emotional Intelligence, Cognition, and Emotional Awareness: An Interpretative Model

Area of Science:

• Developmental Psychology
• Cognitive Science
• Emotional Intelligence Research

Background:

• Emotional awareness (EA) is a cognitive skill for identifying and describing emotions, often linked with cognitive intelligence.
• EA is also considered a core component of Emotional Intelligence (EI), encompassing emotion perception, regulation, and understanding.
• The intersection of cognitive and emotional domains in EA has led to definitional challenges and unanswered questions about its nature.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the explanatory roles of trait EI and fluid nonverbal intelligence on EA variability in children.
• To control for the influence of age and gender on the relationship between cognitive abilities, EI, and EA.
• To test a unique model examining the interplay of these factors in childhood emotional development.

Main Methods:

• A structural equation model was employed to analyze data from 488 pupils (ages 8-12).
• Participants completed the Levels of Emotional Awareness Scale for Children (LEAS-C), the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire - Child Form (TEIQue-CF), and Raven's Progressive Matrices (nonverbal intelligence).
• Statistical analysis controlled for age and gender to isolate the effects of trait EI and nonverbal intelligence on EA.

Main Results:

• Both Raven's Progressive Matrices scores (cognitive intelligence) and TEIQue-CF scores (trait EI) positively and significantly explained EA.
• An indirect effect of age on EA was observed, mediated by intelligence scores, suggesting intelligence development contributes to increasing EA.
• A significant relationship between gender and TEIQue-CF scores indicated higher trait EI in girls compared to boys.

Conclusions:

• Both cognitive intelligence and trait EI are significant predictors of emotional awareness in children.
• The development of intelligence appears to partially mediate the age-related increase in emotional awareness.
• Findings highlight the distinct yet interconnected roles of cognitive and emotional factors in children's emotional development and underscore gender differences in trait EI.