title: The Role of Intelligence Quotient and Emotional Intelligence in Cognitive Control Processes.
abstract: The relationship between intelligence quotient (IQ) and cognitive control processes has been extensively established. Several studies have shown that IQ correlates with cognitive control abilities, such as interference suppression, as measured with experimental tasks like the Stroop and Flanker tasks. By contrast, there is a debate about the role of Emotional Intelligence (EI) in individuals' cognitive control abilities. The aim of this study is to examine the relation between IQ and EI, and cognitive control abilities evaluated by a typical laboratory control cognitive task, the Stroop task. Results show a negative correlation between IQ and the interference suppression index, the ability to inhibit processing of irrelevant information. However, the Managing Emotions dimension of EI measured by the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT), but not self-reported of EI, negatively correlates with the impulsivity index, the premature execution of the response. These results suggest that not only is IQ crucial, but also competences related to EI are essential to human cognitive control processes. Limitations and implications of these results are also discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Faculty of Education Science, University of Cádiz Cádiz, Spain.
authors.forename: Purificación
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Checa
authors.affiliation: Department of Basic Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Málaga Málaga, Spain.
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fernández-Berrocal
keywords: Stroop; cognitive abilities; emotional intelligence; impulsivity; intelligence; interference suppression