title: The Jekyll and Hyde of emotional intelligence: emotion-regulation knowledge facilitates both prosocial and interpersonally deviant behavior.
abstract: Does emotional intelligence promote behavior that strictly benefits the greater good, or can it also advance interpersonal deviance? In the investigation reported here, we tested the possibility that a core facet of emotional intelligence--emotion-regulation knowledge--can promote both prosocial and interpersonally deviant behavior. Drawing from research on how the effective regulation of emotion promotes goal achievement, we predicted that emotion-regulation knowledge would strengthen the effects of other-oriented and self-oriented personality traits on prosocial behavior and interpersonal deviance, respectively. Two studies supported our predictions. Among individuals with higher emotion-regulation knowledge, moral identity exhibited a stronger positive association with prosocial behavior in a social dilemma (Study 1), and Machiavellianism exhibited a stronger positive association with interpersonal deviance in the workplace (Study 2). Thus, emotion-regulation knowledge has a positive side and a dark side.
authors.affiliation: Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S3E6. scote@rotman.utoronto.ca
authors.forename: Stéphane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Côté
authors.forename: Katherine A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Decelles
authors.forename: Julie M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: McCarthy
authors.forename: Gerben A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Van Kleef
authors.forename: Ivona
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hideg
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003071:Cognition; D056348:Emotional Intelligence; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011581:Psychological Tests; D012919:Social Behavior; D012920:Social Behavior Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D017132:Workplace / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult