EI Models Compared
In 1999, Schutte & Malouff published a book entitled "Measuring Emotional Intelligence and Related Constructs" that lists over 60 different emotional intelligence inventories and assessments. Of all these, there are four models that stand out as most commonly used for business applications and in the workplace:
Mayer, Salovey, & Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT) - measures EI ABILITY
Daniel Goleman, the Haygroup Emotional Competence Inventory (ECi) - measures EI ABILITY
Reuven Bar-On's Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-i) - measures EI SKILLS
The Genos Emotional Intelligence Assessment Scale (Genos EI) - measures EI BEHAVIOR
Each of these instruments has its own application and process, and each measures something different from what the others measure. The intention of this page is to assist you in choosing the appropriate tool for your needs and objectives, however it contains only a thumbnail sketch of the essential differences between the most reputable models. I have included links where available, so you can research the other models in depth at your own convenience.
Please understand this: In no way, shape or form is it my intention to disparage or demean the work of these people. They are brilliant, hard-working, gifted researchers who are deeply committed to making the world of human relationships a better place for us all. We simply take different paths to achieve those ends. It's up to you to determine which path is most effective for you, and I am happy to assist you in any way I can.
John Mayer and Peter Salovey were the original researchers who first identified and named the initial construct of Emotional Intelligence at the University of New Hampshire in 1990. They consider EI to be a unique form of social intelligence that is distinct from IQ, personality, character, disposition, and technical skill. Their definition: "Emotional intelligence is the ability to perceive emotions, to access and generate emotions so as to assist thought, to understand emotions and emotional knowledge, and to reflectively regulate emotions so as to promote emotional and intellectual growth." (Mayer & Salovey, 1997)
The MSCEIT is the most widely researched measurement of EI, with more than 10 peer-reviewed papers published. It is now workplace specific and is comprised of questions for which there are more or less correct answers. This makes the MSCEIT less susceptible to "faking good" (EDR) than some other measures. Susan David, of Evidence Based Psychology, works at Yale with Professor Salovey and has developed a leadership and workplace development report. The 10 page feedback report is easy to understand and the development options are workplace specific. The MSCEIT is a pure EI measurement, that is, it does not measure personality, character or dispositional traits.
The MSCEIT is a self assessment only, with 141 questions that take about an hour to complete, and measures EI ABILITY in four dimensions:
1) Perceiving Emotions - The ability to perceive emotions in oneself and others, as well as in objects, art, stories, music, and other stimuli.
2) Facilitating Thought - The ability to generate, use, and feel emotion as necessary to communicate feelings, or employ them in cognitive processes.
3) Understanding Emotions - The ability to understand emotional information, how emotions combine and progress through emotional transitions, and to appreciate such emotional meanings.
4) Managing Emotions -The ability to be open to feelings, and to modulate them in oneself and others so as to promote personal understanding and growth.
Daniel Goleman is, of course, one of the most famous names in the EI world. His definition of EI: "It is the capacity for recognizing our own feelings and those of others, for motivating ourselves, and for managing emotions well in ourselves and in our relationships." - Daniel Goleman, 1998
The ECi was developed by Goleman and Richard Boyatzis, and is a full 360, including ratings by self, managers, peers and direct reports. It is a workplace specific instrument intended for organizational applications. The Haygroup states that there are extensive workplace norms however, specific information is not publicly available. There is one peer-reviewed doctoral thesis available and while the Haygroup claims to have over 500 research papers, none of these are peer-reviewed or available to the public either. You must be accredited by the Haygroup to obtain them.
The ECi provides a 20 page report that is difficult to understand and interpret. No developmental options are offered in this report. The assessment has 117 questions and takes 30 to 40 minutes to complete, which can create a time challenge for large teams completing multiple 360's. The ECi is a mixed model that measures COMPETENCIES (another word for ABILITY) in 20 variables that are a combination of abilities, personality traits and dispositions in four quadrants:
1) Self-Awareness - includes Emotional Self-awareness, Accurate Self-assessment, Self-confidence.
2) Self-Management - includes Self-control, Adaptability, Conscientiousness, Trustworthiness, Initiative, and Achievement Orientation.
3) Social Awareness - includes Empathy, Service Orientation, and Organizational Awareness.
4) Social Skills - includes Leadership, Influence, Developing Others, Change Catalyst, Communication, Conflict Management, Building Bonds, Teamwork & Collaboration
Reuven Bar-On is the Israeli psychologist who developed the EQ-i, and he describes his view of emotional intelligence as, "…an array of non-cognitive SKILLS that are useful in predicting success in specific areas of life. "
The EQ-i was originally designed for clinical applications and is NOT workplace specific. The instrument does indeed have over 80,000 Americans in its general normative samples but again, these are NOT workplace specific. There are two peer-reviewed published research papers but these also are not related to the workplace and do not involve workplace samples.
The EQ-i provides several different report types, but the primary one is 7 pages and is easy to understand. It contains a single page of development options that are neither detailed nor workplace relevant. This is a self-assessment only, has 133 questions, takes 30 to 45 minutes to complete and is a mixed model of EI, personality traits and dispositions. The assessment measures SKILLS in 5 composite scales and 15 sub-scales:
1) Intrapersonal Scales - Self-Regard, Emotional Self Awareness, Assertiveness, Independence, Self-Actualization
2) Interpersonal Scales - Empathy, Social Responsibility, Interpersonal Relationship
3) Adaptability Scales - Reality Testing, Flexibility, Problem Solving
4) Stress Management Scales - Stress Tolerance, Impulse Control
5) General Mood Scales - Optimism, Happiness
The Genos EI model was originally developed by Dr. Ben Palmer and Professor Con Stough at Swinburne University of Technology in Australia. This is an extremely sophisticated, second generation instrument built from the ground up for application in the workplace. Genos has over 3,000 general workplace norms and over 1,000 senior executive norms in their workplace samples. Genos has 5 peer-reviewed and published research papers, all involving workplace samples, that are available upon request. Most of these are posted elsewhere on this site as PDF downloads.
The Genos definition: Emotional Intelligence (EI) is best defined as the capacity to perceive, express, understand, and manage one's own and others' emotions in an appropriate, professional, and effective manner at work.
The Genos assessment has 70 questions, takes about 20 minutes to complete online, is a full 360, and includes ratings by self, managers, peers, direct reports, and customers/clients, the last of which is especially relevant for teams who want feedback from stakeholders outside the primary work group. Genos provides a full-color, 20 page feedback report that is easy to understand, with one full page of detailed, workplace specific development options for each dimension of the assessment. The Genos program is easily customized for individuals or teams.
The Genos EI is the only model that recommends two assessments, one before the coaching, and one after the coaching that measures the behavioral changes and improvements. Each client receives a comprehensive manual with participatory insight and behavioral rehearsal activities for business systems, processes and action plans, and 3 to 4 months of intensive, one-on-one developmental coaching. The coaching supports a cognitive-behavioral restructuring methodology based on the developmental options in the initial report, and is tied directly to the needs, goals, objectives and outcomes in role competencies as defined by the client company.
Unlike all the other models listed here, the Genos EI measures BEHAVIOR in 7 dimensions that have been determined through research to be the definitive core of EI:
1) Emotional Self-awareness - Measures the skill of perceiving and understanding one’s own emotions. You are rated on how frequently you are aware of: your feelings, moods and emotions at work; the underlying causes of your feelings; and the impact that your feelings can have on your thoughts, decisions and behaviour.
2) Emotional Expression - Measures the skill of effectively expressing one’s own emotions. You are rated on how frequently you: effectively express how you feel about issues at work; appropriately express specific emotions at work, such as happiness or frustration; how effectively you provide positive feedback to colleagues; and the degree to which you express the approprate emotions at the right time, to the right degree and to the right people.
3) Emotional Awareness of Others - Measuress the skill of perceiving and understanding others’ emotions. You are rated on how frequently you: identify the way people feel about issues at work; how well you understand what causes people to feel specific emotions such as concern, anger or optimism; and how frequently you effectively demonstrate an understanding of others’ feelings at work.
4) Emotional Reasoning - Measures the skill of using emotional information (from yourself and others) in reasoning, planning, problem-solving and decision-making. You are rated on how frequently you: consider your own and others’ feelings when making decisions; demonstrate to others that you have considered their feelings in decisions and; effectively communicate decisions and gain stakeholder commitment.
5) Emotional Self-management - Measures the skill of effectively managing your own emotions. You are rated on how frequently you: engage in activities that make you feel positive at work; explore the causes of things that upset you at work; and move on from things that upset you.
6) Emotional Management of Others - Measures the skill of influencing the moods and emotions of others. You are rated on how frequently you: create a positive working environment for others; help people find effective ways of responding to upsetting events, and; effectively help people resolve issues that are affecting their performance.
7) Emotional Self-control - Measures the skill of effectively controlling strong emotions that you experience. You are rated on how frequently you: can remain focused when anxious at work; demonstrate anger appropriately at work or conversely, fail to control your temper and become impulsive under stress.
Emotional self-control is similar to emotional management, but is much more focused on your threshold for coping with strong emotions.
For more information about the Genos EI model, please read through the other pages of this section of CarmineLeo.com - The Genos Difference.
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