Measuring Emotional Intelligence in preadolescence

Studies investigating Emotional Intelligence (EI) in preadolescence are beginning to emerge in the scientific literature. However, currently little is known regarding the conceptualisation and measurement of EI in this population. This study examined the relationships between trait EI, objective measures of emotional ability, and psychopathology, and the factor structure of five measures of emotional skills. A sample of 598 children aged 10–11 years completed two measures of trait EI, three objective measures of emotional ability, the Ravens Coloured Progressive Matrices, and the Beck Youth Inventories. Weak or non-significant relationships were found between trait EI and objective measures of emotional ability. Trait EI correlated moderately with psychopathology whilst only a few weak relationships were found between psychopathology and objective measures of emotional ability. Females scored higher than males on objective measures of emotional ability but there were no gender differences in trait EI. The trait EI and objective measures of emotional ability scale scores loaded onto two separate factors indicating that future researchers need to base their choice of EI scale for preadolescent children on theoretical grounds a priori.