Emotional Intelligence Relates to Well-Being: Evidence from the Situational Judgment Test of Emotional Management.
BACKGROUND
This research was conducted to examine whether people high in emotional intelligence (EI) have greater well-being than people low in EI.


METHODS
The Situational Test of Emotion Management, Scales of Psychological Well-being, and Day Reconstruction Method were completed by 131 college students.


RESULTS
Responses to the Situational Test of Emotion Management were strongly related to eudaimonic well-being as measured by responses on the Scales of Psychological Well-being (r=.54). Furthermore, the ability to manage emotions was related to hedonic well-being, correlating with both the frequency of experienced positive affect and the frequency of experienced negative affect, as measured by the Day Reconstruction Method.


CONCLUSIONS
Two aspects of these results suggest a relationship between EI and well-being. First, the observed relationship between ability EI and psychological well-being is the largest reported in the literature to date. Second, this study is the first use of the Day Reconstruction Method to examine the relationship between well-being and EI. Results are discussed in terms of the potential for training emotion management to enhance well-being. Methodological advances for future research are also suggested.
Educational Testing ServiceUniversity of Sydney, Australia.
Jeremy
J
Burrus
Educational Testing ServiceUniversity of Sydney, Australia.
Anthony
A
Betancourt
Educational Testing ServiceUniversity of Sydney, Australia.
Steven
S
Holtzman
Educational Testing ServiceUniversity of Sydney, Australia.
Jennifer
J
Minsky
Educational Testing ServiceUniversity of Sydney, Australia.
Carolyn
C
MacCann
Educational Testing ServiceUniversity of Sydney, Australia.
Richard D
RD
Roberts
D000339:Affect; D056348:Emotional Intelligence / Q000502:physiology*; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007600:Judgment / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D000067656:Optimism; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011581:Psychological Tests; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult
day reconstruction method; emotion management; emotional intelligence; well-being