Emotional Intelligence Is a Second-Stratum Factor of Intelligence: Evidence From Hierarchical and Bifactor Models

    Authors

    C. MacCann; D. L. Joseph; D. A. Newman;R. D. Roberts

    Comments

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    Abbreviated Journal Title

    Emotion

    Keywords

    emotional intelligence; Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test; (MSCEIT); Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) theory; structural equation; modeling (SEM); confirmatory factor analysis (CFA); HUMAN COGNITIVE-ABILITIES; CRYSTALLIZED INTELLIGENCE; PSYCHOMETRIC; INTELLIGENCE; STANDARD INTELLIGENCE; FLUID INTELLIGENCE; MISSING DATA; FIT INDEXES; MSCEIT V2.0; PERFORMANCE; SEARCH; Psychology, Experimental

    Abstract

    This article examines the status of emotional intelligence (EI) within the structure of human cognitive abilities. To evaluate whether EI is a 2nd-stratum factor of intelligence, data were fit to a series of structural models involving 3 indicators each for fluid intelligence, crystallized intelligence, quantitative reasoning, visual processing, and broad retrieval ability, as well as 2 indicators each for emotion perception, emotion understanding, and emotion management. Unidimensional, multidimensional, hierarchical, and bifactor solutions were estimated in a sample of 688 college and community college students. Results suggest adequate fit for 2 models: (a) an oblique 8-factor model (with 5 traditional cognitive ability factors and 3 EI factors) and (b) a hierarchical solution (with cognitive g at the highest level and EI representing a 2nd-stratum factor that loads onto g at lambda = .80). The acceptable relative fit of the hierarchical model confirms the notion that EI is a group factor of cognitive ability, marking the expression of intelligence in the emotion domain. The discussion proposes a possible expansion of Cattell-Horn-Carroll theory to include EI as a 2nd-stratum factor of similar standing to factors such as fluid intelligence and visual processing.

    Journal Title

    Emotion

    Volume

    14

    Issue/Number

    2

    Publication Date

    1-1-2014

    Document Type

    Article

    Language

    English

    First Page

    358

    Last Page

    374

    WOS Identifier

    WOS:000334573900015

    ISSN

    1528-3542

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