Abstract
A major stumbling block for emotional intelligence (EI) research has been the lack of adequate evidence for discriminant validity. In a sample of 280 dyads, self- and peer-reports of EI and Big Five personality traits were used to confirm an a priori four-factor model for the Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale (WLEIS) and a five-factor model for Goldberg's International Personality Item Pool (IPIP). After demonstrating measurement equivalence between self-report and peer-report for both scales, the authors show discriminant validity between the four EI subfacets and Big Five personality traits. This is accomplished through a series of structural equation models fit to the mutitrait-multimethod matrix. Despite their conclusion of discriminant validity, the authors note strong latent correlations between Others' Emotion Appraisal and trait Agreeableness (Φ =. 87), between Use of Emotion and trait Conscientiousness (Φ =. 73), between Regulation of Emotion and trait Neuroticism (Φ = -.66), and between Self Emotion Appraisal and trait Neuroticism (Φ = -.66). There is also post hoc evidence of potential leniency in self-reported emotion regulation. Results point to the utility of peer-report methods as well as the relative construct validity of various subfacets of self-reported emotional competence.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 672-694 |
Number of pages | 23 |
Journal | Educational and Psychological Measurement |
Volume | 70 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Aug 2010 |
Keywords
- Big Five personality
- Cognitive ability
- Discriminant validity
- Emotional intelligence
- Interrater agreement
- Measurement equivalence
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Education
- Developmental and Educational Psychology
- Applied Psychology
- Applied Mathematics