By Having good emotional intelligence can be more decisive than having a genius IQ. But how do we measure it? How can we know who has good emotional skills? We explain below.
Empathizing with those around us. Being socially responsible people. Knowing how to communicate what we want to express. Being able to regulate our emotions to make more effective and thoughtful decisions. All of these skills would allow us to navigate the journey of life much better, but how do we know if we are skilled in this series of dimensions or if we should work on them much more?
The truth is that there are different instruments to evaluate emotional intelligence, both in children and adults . However, not all of these resources are valid and effective. Many of these tests are organized into general questions that result in biased scores. They are the classic tests that we can all find online and that lack scientific rigor.
It is important to know that we have been trying for many decades to understand whether emotional intelligence is a scientific construct that can be measured. Since Mayer, Caruso and Salovey described it in the 90s and Daniel Goleman popularized it with his books, many attempts have been made to develop a valid test to assess it. Currently, we have the EQ-i 2.0 inventory, which is the most widely used and the most reliable . We analyze it.
«Emotional intelligence defines a “thinker with a heart” who perceives, understands and effectively manages the art of social relations.»
-Mayer and Salovey-
Emotional Quotient Inventory 2.0: What is its purpose?
Reuven Bar-On is an Israeli psychologist and one of the most notable pioneers in research on emotional intelligence. We could say that he is, along with Goleman and Mayer, Caruso and Salovey, one of the most notable figures in this field. He is the one who developed the emotional quotient inventory 2.0, one of the most effective and widely used instruments in this area today.
Dr. Bar-On published a study in 2014 in which he described this instrument, which is intended to assess emotionally and socially intelligent behavior. It should be noted that this resource is backed by more than 20 years of research and that it makes it easier, for example, to know in which areas we stand out the most and which dimensions in this area we should improve.
The Emotional Quotient Inventory 2.0 can be administered from the age of 16 and its administration would take just over half an hour. With it we can obtain information about our emotional skills associated with relationships, work and life in general .
“A view of human nature that ignores the power of emotions is sadly short-sighted.”
-Daniel Goleman-
EQ-i 2.0 scales and subscales
The EQ-i 2.0 inventory assesses 15 competencies that are organized into 5 very specific areas. It should be noted that this model for analyzing people’s emotional intelligence does not focus on those areas that Daniel Goleman introduced in his work. Reuven Bar-On is known for defining the third major model of emotional intelligence and completing the original model.
We analyze the scales that make up this instrument.
1. Self perception
Self-perception defines our ability to understand and be aware of our capabilities, skills and competencies . It is also the vision we have of ourselves, an indispensable quality to know how to navigate our relationships and daily challenges. This scale is also made up of three subscales:
- Self-esteem : the way people value themselves.
- Self-realization. We should all have a willingness to strive to improve and achieve our life goals.
- Emotional self-awareness. Being aware and understanding what we feel, what happens to us and what we need is a fundamental pillar of emotional intelligence.
2. Interpersonal skills
How can we improve our emotional relationships? How can we be more successful at work? How can we deal with disagreements, problems and differences with the people around us?
Interpersonal skills are the basic tool within Reuven Bar-On’s emotional intelligence model and are made up of the following subscales:
- Ability to relate to others. Defines those skills that many people apply naturally when relating to others and that others find more difficult to use effectively.
- Empathy. Within the emotional quotient 2.0 inventory, knowing how to connect and understand the emotional realities of others is a decisive dimension.
- Social responsibility. In this case, the socially responsible person is one who has the skills to enrich our society, being sensitive to the well-being of others, practicing respect, justice, altruism , etc.
3. Self-expression
One characteristic that many of us should improve is emotional self-expression. It is not easy to know how to express what we feel, to demand what we need or to communicate difficult emotions when we feel them without causing harm to the other. This is a life skill that forms a decisive scale in this instrument and is made up of the following subscales:
- Assertiveness . Do you consider yourself a person capable of communicating what you think/feel and want in a respectful and constructive manner?
- Independence. This subscale measures the attitude to be autonomous and not emotionally dependent on others.
- Emotional expressiveness. People must be effective when expressing their emotions both verbally and non-verbally.
4. Decision making
No one usually teaches us how to make good decisions . We establish this learning through trial and error and with a good dose of reflection and self-awareness.
Knowing how to decide through reflection, analysis and even intuition is a decisive dimension of the emotional quotient inventory 2.0. Its subscales are the following:
- Problem solving. When facing any challenge or difficulty, it is essential to know how to regulate both impulses and emotions. Only in this way will we successfully handle problems large and small.
- Impulse control. There are people who, due to their personality , become accustomed to responding impulsively to almost every aspect of their life. All of this leads to more than one regret. Being emotionally skilled also requires mastering this dimension.
- Knowing how to contrast reality. People must develop a good ability to filter reality objectively and not so much through our emotions.
Reuven Bar-On is the only psychologist to formulate and include optimism as a decisive variable in his model of emotional intelligence. For this expert, this dimension is essential for managing problems.
5. Stress management
The fact that the Emotional Quotient Inventory 2.0 includes this dimension enriches it and makes it really useful. Nowadays, we all need to know how to understand and regulate our stress states.
Emotional intelligence also teaches us how to moderate irrational thoughts and those internal states that make us lose control over our lives.
- Flexibility. A flexible mind knows how to adapt to uncertainty and any challenge, avoiding blockages or avoidance behaviors .
- Stress tolerance. Whether we like it or not, stress is part of life. The key is knowing how to regulate it before any circumstance overwhelms us.
- Optimism. A positive and hopeful attitude allows us to better face any problem.
Are we dealing with a reliable instrument?
The EQ-i 2.0 was first developed and applied to the American population. Over the years, however, this inventory has been validated in all countries and has become the most widely used instrument for measuring emotional intelligence.
This is a consistent test with good validity that has proven effective in any culture . It is frequently used in both educational settings and especially in work environments. For example, it helps improve the leadership skills of employees and even optimize the performance of work teams.
In conclusion, we are faced with an easy-to-apply tool that can provide us with very useful information, especially to know which areas we should improve in order to invest in well-being and happiness.