Predictive ability of ability-based versus self-report EI measures for academic performance
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Date
2010
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Pakistan Journal of Psychology
Abstract
The study aims at finding if there is a valid increment for the tests of emotional intelligence (E1) in explaining variance in academic performance ofuniversity students. In this context, the contention was that 'ability-E1' measure would do better than 'trait EJ' measure. A sample of309 undergraduate students who had completed first year of their BA / BSc program was recruited from a local university. End of the first year GPA served as an index of student academic performance. High school marks (12 years ofeducation) ofthe students, a cognitive index, correlated strongly with Mayer; Salovey and Can.so Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT) confirming that it embodied ability conceptualization of emotional intelligence tmlike Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-i) which is known as following the trait model of E1. The two E1 measures were lIncorrelated. Students ofsocial sciences scored equal to natural sciences on EQ-i and even lower on MSCEIT rejecting our hypothesis that social science students would score more on emotional intelligence. Prediction of academic performance popularly known as GPA was investigated through hierarchical regression analysis using high school marks and E1 tests, in order, as predictors. The incremental prediction made by E1 tests in explaining variance in students' GPA was however found to be modest (< 5%) both by trait-Ei as well as ability-E1 measure, after the major predictor i.e. high school marks, which explained 17 % of the variance in GPA, was controlled. The hypothesis ofincremental prediction ofGPA by the E1 measures was therefore not supported irrespective of the type aT Ef measures.
Description
Keywords
Emotional Intelligence, Trait-EI, Incremental Prediction, GPA
Citation
Pakistan Journal of Psychology, December 2010, 41 (2),pp 91-104