title: What if we fake emotional intelligence? A test of criterion validity attenuation.
abstract: We evaluate the extent to which established self-report measures of emotional intelligence (EI) are susceptible to socially desirable responding. A study was conducted to assess the relationship between EI and multiple outcomes across 3 experimental faking conditions. Using structural equation modeling, we found that the criterion validities of self-report EI measures in the prediction of life satisfaction, psychological distress, rational coping, and detachment coping are not attenuated in moderate social desirability settings, but are somewhat attenuated when faking is maximized. Moreover, partialing out social desirability does not yield any improvement of the predictive validity of self-report EI.
authors.affiliation: Department of Business, Yonsei University at Wonju, South Korea. swchoi33@yonsei.ac.kr
authors.forename: Sungwon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Donald H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Kluemper
authors.forename: Kerry S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Sauley
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D056348:Emotional Intelligence; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000592:standards*; D011594:Psychometrics; D057566:Self Report; D012928:Social Desirability; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D013334:Students; D014481:United States; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult