Personality traits and emotional intelligence as predictors of teachers' psychological well-being

• Published in: Psihološka obzorja Vol. 18; no. 3; pp. 73 - 86
• Main Authors: Andreja Avsec, Polona Masnec, Luka Komidar
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Slovenian Psychologists' Association 17.11.2009
• Subjects: Big Five Inventory BFI; emotional intelligence; Emotional Skills and Competence Questionnaire ESCQ-45; personality traits; predictive validity; psychological well-being; Scales of Psychological Well-Being PWB; teachers
• ISSN: 2350-5141; 2350-5141

We examined predictive validity of the Big Five personality traits and three dimensions of emotional intelligence (EI) regarding psychological well-being on the sample of primary and highschool teachers. Notwithstanding relatively high correlations between personality and EI scales, reported by other studies, we predicted that EI still accounts for a significant amount of variability in psychological well-being. This prediction originates in idea that different abilities concerning emotions should help individuals to be more effective in various aspects of positive functioning. One hundred fifty two teachers filled out the Big Five Inventory (BFI), Emotional Skills and Competence Questionnaire (ESCQ), and the short version of Riff's Psychological Well-Being Scales (RPWB). Results showed good predictive validity of personality traits, for they accounted for 22 to 43% of variability in different psychological well-being scales. Predictive validity of EI is also excellent, but when controlling for personality traits is far worse, since it accounts for only 1 to 3% of variance in well-being scales. Discriminant validity of EI scales measured by ESCQ is therefore unsatisfactory.