Editorial: Emotional Intelligence and Cognitive Abilities

A quarter-century after Peter Salovey and John Mayer introduced the concept of emotional intelligence (EI; Salovey and Mayer, 1990), it remains an important and growing research area. EI is usually analyzed from the perspective of the ability model or mixed models. The ability model focuses on an individual's mental abilities to apply information provided by emotions for the improvement of cognitive processing. Mixed models conceptualize EI as the combination of mental abilities, stable behavioral traits and personality variables (see Mayer et al., 2008). The present research topic brings together 14 articles that, building on previous studies (Mayer et al., 2008; Fernández-Berrocal et al., 2014; Webb et al., 2014), analyze the relevance of EI in different domains of daily life, including health-related outcomes, social functioning, and academic and workplace performance. These articles approach the problem from different theoretical perspectives using different measurements. The research topic opens with a review by Peña-Sarrionandia et al. on studies that apply the emotion regulation conceptual framework to understanding how emotion regulation processes underlie EI. This review offers an integrated view of the field that may help the reader better understand the other articles in this research topic. Researchers continue to debate whether EI contributes significantly to emotional, cognitive, and social processes beyond the well-known contribution of IQ and personality traits. The link between cognitive ability and general intelligence is well-established, and evidence also suggests a link between cognitive ability and EI. Checa and Fernández-Berrocal show that the Managing Emotions dimension of EI measured by the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT) is negatively related to impulsivity during cognitive tasks. Boyatzis et al. report that the association of general intelligence with the behavioral dimension of EI differs from its association with other EI dimensions. Individuals with greater EI ability (based on the MSCEIT) perceive more available social support, after controlling for fluid intelligence and personality traits (Di Fabio). EI abilities have also been implicated in divergent thinking and motivational state (Takeuchi et al.). At the same time, not all studies suggest a significant contribution of EI beyond IQ or personality. Furnham et al. examine associations of personality traits with self-and other-reported EI (based on the Baron EQ-I) in business settings, and they find poor incremental benefit of this EI measure beyond personality testing. Together, these studies suggest that EI is a relevant and useful variable for understanding and explaining various human processes, though further research should clarify …