PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT OF EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE: A REVIEW OF SELF‐REPORT AND PERFORMANCE‐BASED TESTING

Abstract

This article provides a review and conceptual comparison between self‐report and performance‐based measures of emotional intelligence. Analyses of reliability, psychometric properties, and various forms of validity lead to the conclusion that self‐report techniques measure a dispositional construct, that may have some predictive validity, but which is highly correlated with personality and independent of intelligence. Although seemingly more valid, performance‐based measures have certain limitations, especially when scored with reference to consensual norms, which leads to problems of skew and restriction of range. Scaling procedures may partially ameliorate these scoring weaknesses. Alternative approaches to scoring, such as expert judgement, also suffer problems since the nature of the requisite expertise is unclear. Use of experimental paradigms for studying individual differences in information‐processing may, however, inform expertise. Other difficulties for performance‐based measures include limited predictive and operational validity, restricting practical utility in organizational settings. Further research appears necessary before tests of E1 are suitable for making real‐life decisions about individuals.

Citation

MacCann, C., Matthews, G., Zeidner, M. and Roberts, R.D. (2003), "PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT OF EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE: A REVIEW OF SELF‐REPORT AND PERFORMANCE‐BASED TESTING", The International Journal of Organizational Analysis, Vol. 11 No. 3, pp. 247-274. https://doi.org/10.1108/eb028975