This study examined the relationship between emotional intelligence and life satisfaction. To determine the nature of this relationship, personality constructs known to predict life satisfaction were also assessed (positive and negative affect). Emotional intelligence was assessed in 107 participants using a modified version of the Trait Meta-Mood Scale [TMMS; Salovey, P, Mayer, J., Goldman, S., Turvey, C. & Palfai, T.1995. Emotional attention, clarity and repair: exploring emotional intelligence using the Trait Meta-Mood Scale. In J. W. Pennebaker (Ed), pp. 125–154. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association] and the Twenty-Item Toronto Alexithymia Scale [TAS-20; J. Psychosom Res, 38 (1994) 26]. Life satisfaction was assessed using the Satisfaction With Life Scale [SWLS; J. Pers. Social Psycol., 69 (1985) 71]. Only the Clarity sub-scale of the TMMS (which indexes perceived ability to understand and discriminate between moods and emotions), and the Difficulty Identifying Feelings sub-scale of the TAS-20 were found to significantly correlate with life satisfaction. Subsequent analyses revealed that only the Clarity sub-scale accounted for further variance in life satisfaction not accounted for by positive and negative affect. This finding provides further evidence that components of the EI construct account for variance in this important human value not accounted for by personality. Implications and directions for further research are discussed.
In recent times there has been much interest in the construct of emotional intelligence (EI), a set of abilities relating to emotions and to the processing of emotional information. These abilities generally pertain to the perception of emotions, the regulation/management of emotions, and the capacity to utilise (or reason with) emotions in thought (Mayer, Salovey, & Caruso, 2000c). During the last decade research has predominantly concentrated on the theoretical development of the construct (i.e. Mayer and Salovey, 1993 and Mayer and Salovey, 1997), and on the establishment of assessment measures (Bar-On, 1997, Mayer et al., 2000a, Mayer et al., 1990, Mayer and Geher, 1996, Salovey et al., 1995 and Schutte et al., 1998). This work has resulted in the development of a number of self-report measures (e.g., the Bar-On Emotional Quotient Inventory, EQi, Bar-On; the Trait Meta-Mood Scale, TMMS; Salovey et al., 1995), and a performance-based measure of EI in which there are more and less correct answers to emotion-related questions based on consensual responses (the Multi-Factor Emotional Intelligence Scale, MEIS; Mayer et al. 2000a). The advent of assessment measures has provided a platform for research to examine the relationship between EI and theoretically related life criteria and test developers have called for researchers to empirically establish the utility of the EI construct (Mayer et al., 2000c).
