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In the late 1990's, emotional intelligence (EIQ) was one of the hottest buzz-phrases in contemporary psychology. In the business world, it became a hot topic, largely due to one author's claim that a high EIQ was one of the best predictors of success in the workplace. In his 1995 book, Emotional Intelligence, Why it Can Matter More than IQ, author Daniel Goleman used an early definition by researcher Peter Salovey which stated that the construct of EIQ includes knowing one's emotions, emotional self-control, motivation and persistence, recognizing emotions of others, and successfully handling relationships. Goleman made some very strong statements in his book, including the suggestion that EIQ is one of the main keys to success in life. He implied that emotional intelligence is at the root of many of life's puzzles. Why are some smart people unsuccessful? Why do certain individuals strike out at others in a violent manner? Why so some excel at managing others while others struggle? He hinted that EIQ was an answer to all these, and many others, of life's questions.
Since the birth of the concept in a 1985 thesis by Wayne Leon Payne, researchers have been working to discover what factors play a part in emotional intelligence. Many conceptions of emotional intelligence are divided into two main parts; aspects related to understanding and dealing with one's own emotions, and those related to understanding the emotions of others and handling social interactions. For many prominent EIQ researchers, including most notably Goleman and Reuven Bar-on, the construct also includes broader traits such as motivation, interpersonal and other personal attributes (this is often called a mixed model). For others, including Peter Salovey and John Meyer and their colleagues, the latest models of EIQ are strictly related to the test-taker's abilities in this area (often called an ability model). Like the classical notion of intelligence, they feel that emotional intelligence is a cognitive ability that can be accurately and concretely defined and measured.
Three main options exist in terms of how to assess EIQ:
It appears that the mixed models and the ability methods of evaluating EIQ do not assess exactly the same thing. In fact, Mayer and Salovey themselves found that their assessment shares only 10% of the variance with Bar-on's self-report measure of emotional intelligence (Mayer, Caruso, Salovey, 2000). This means that while they may be somewhat related, there is not enough overlap to justify using only one or the other. Since self-report and ability measures can be seen as distinct elements, our assessment will include both forms but report scores for both separately. Both types of measures have been shown to have predictive value in different areas in a large number of studies, so using both can create a measure that is effective in measuring success in a variety of areas.
Our definition of emotional intelligence is Mayer et al.'s (1999) definition:
Emotional intelligence refers to an ability to recognize the meanings of emotions and their relationships, and to reason and problem-solve on the basis of them. Emotional intelligence is involved in the capacity to perceive emotions, assimilate emotion-related feelings, understand the information of those emotions, and manage them (p. 267). We chose to assess this construct using both self-report questions and ability questions.
The core ability of identifying, perceiving and expressing emotions in yourself and others is an area where you seem to be doing quite well. This aspect of emotional intelligence helps you to read others, understand how they feel, and effectively identify your own emotions. These skills form the basis of your ability to relate to the emotions of others as well as well as your ability to understand yourself. Review the results below for further information on areas that may need improvement.
You are well aware of the guiding potential of your emotions, and usually tune in to your feelings as a means to direct your judgment, reasoning, and actions. Emotional Facilitation of Thought reflects the capacity to use emotions to figure out the aspects of a situation that don't lend themselves too easily to logic (e.g. when making decisions in ambiguous situations). When you use this internal guidance system in addition to cognitive processes, you are better able to view situations from different angles. Read through the breakdown of results below for more information about this core ability, and areas where improvement is suggested.
In order to take appropriate action in emotionally charged situations, you need to be able to assess and analyze the complex and mixed emotions that come into play. Feelings affect thoughts and behavior, so a lack of emotional understanding can result in serious social missteps. This is likely a very rare occurrence with you. You are quite capable of assessing and analyzing emotions in order to take appropriate action. Review the detailed results below for more information.
Emotions are not always under our control - we feel what we feel. However, how we react to situations is under our control, which means that we need to take responsibility for our actions even in times when emotions are volatile. Emotional responsibility is something that you almost always put into practice. When you make it a point to manage your emotions, you are better able to deal with situations or people that tend to make you feel upset. Review the breakdown of your results below and work on any areas that need a little improvement.
The Ego Maturity scale refers to a group of traits that encompass emotional maturity - a level in which a person is fully comfortable with whom he/she is and possesses a strong and healthy sense of self. While this may be shaped by life experiences, as emotional intelligence develops and expands, so too will our ego mature.
You are well on your way to ego maturity, although you still have a little room to grow. There are aspects of your personality that you can still develop and evolve. In essence, you still have some room to grow as a person. Refer to the results below for more details about areas that you can focus on developing further.
Emotional Identification, Perception
Emotional Facilitation of Thought
Emotional Understanding
Emotional Management
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