Moving Forward in the Field of EI

Two constructs of emotional intelligence (EI) should be distinguished based on the measurement method used in the operationalization process (self-report, as in personality questionnaires, or maximum-performance, as in IQ tests; see Petrides & Furnham, 2000, 2001, 2003). Trait EI (or “trait emotional self-effi cacy”) concerns emotionrelated dispositions and self-perceptions measured via self-report, whereas ability EI (or “cognitive-emotional ability”) concerns emotion-related cognitive abilities that ought to be measured via maximum-performance tests. The conceptual differences between the two constructs are summarized in Petrides, Furnham, and Frederickson (2004; see also Table 6.1). These differences are directly refl ected in empirical fi ndings, which reveal very low, often nonsignifi cant, correlations between measures of trait EI and ability EI, thereby supporting an explicit distinction between the two constructs (Engelberg & Sjöberg, 2004; O’Connor & Little, 2003; Warwick & Nettelbeck, 2004). Findings that are fully in line with our theoretical position have also been reported by researchers who do not seem to espouse it (Brackett & Mayer, 2003; Zeidner, Shani-Zinovich, Matthews, & Roberts, 2005). Along with others, we have maintained that the operationalization of ability EI is problematic because the subjectivity of emotional experience (e.g., Robinson & Clore, 2002; Watson, 2000) undermines the development of valid maximum-performance (IQlike) tests. The heart of the problem concerns the inability to create items or tasks that can be scored according to truly objective criteria and that can cover the sampling domain of ability EI comprehensively. For example, the entire intrapersonal component of EI seems to be impervious to maximum-performance measurement because the information required to score as correct or incorrect answers to items like “I am aware of my emotions as I experience them” is available only to the individual who provides the answers. The use of alternative scoring procedures designed to create correct responses among a number