Testing the incremental validity of Trait Emotional Intelligence: Evidence from an Italian sample of adolescents

• Published in: Personality and individual differences Vol. 64; pp. 24 - 29
• Main Authors: Andrei, Federica, Mancini, Giacomo, Trombini, Elena, Baldaro, Bruno, Russo, P.M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.07.2014; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adolescence; Biological and medical sciences; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Incremental validity; Internalizing symptoms; Personality; Personality. Affectivity; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Psychometrics; TEIQue; Trait emotional self-efficacy; Adolescence; Personality; Incremental validity; Internalizing symptoms; TEIQue; Trait emotional self-efficacy; Human; Affect affectivity; Italian; Foreign language version; Questionnaire; Emotional intelligence; Psychometrics; Cognition; Emotion emotionality; Test validation; Symptomatology; Adolescent; Self efficacy; Psychopathology
• ISSN: 0191-8869; 1873-3549
• DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2014.02.007

•This study aimed at validating the Italian TEIQue–AFF and at testing its validity.•The structure of the English-original TEIQue–AFF was replicated.•The TEIQue always showed incremental validity above gender, IQ, and the Big Five.•Results at the factor level were mainly due to Well-Being. The present study was aimed at validating the Italian version of the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire–Adolescent Full Form (TEIQue–AFF), as well as at exploring its incremental validity over emotional maladjustment. To this end, a sample of 351 (163 males) Italian adolescents was collected. Overall, the Italian TEIQue–AFF both replicated the original-English four-factor structure (Well-Being, Self-Control, Emotionality, Sociability), and its construct validity was confirmed. However, reliability coefficients for eight facets and two factors were low. In addition, at all levels of analysis (i.e., global, factor, facet) the TEIQue–AFF was found to be a significant incremental predictor of adolescent’s emotional maladjustment, over and above gender, IQ, and the Big Five personality dimensions. At the factor level, significant effects were related to the contribution of the factor Well-Being thus supporting perspectives arguing for a further refinement of trait EI content domain. Implications of the findings are discussed.