Investigating Relationships between the Subscales of the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test and the General Ability Measure for Adults General Intelligence Test
Investigating Relationships between the Subscales of the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test and the General Ability Measure for Adults General Intelligence Test Tabitha S. Harper, Ph.D. Director: John Convey, Ph.D. Research concerning traditional college student populations has demonstrated a relationship between cognitive ability, often measured by academic success or grade point average, and the ability to manage one's emotions both within and outside of the classroom. Studies further show that emotional intelligence plays an integral role in daily educational activities, self-regulation, and the establishment of goals, particularly for first-year students. Colleges and universities have begun to develop resources for all levels of undergraduates in order to ensure a smooth transition into the college environment and continued success, socially and academically throughout their college residency. This study examined the relationships between the constructs of emotional intelligence and general, or cognitive, intelligence as measured by the subscales of the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT) and the General Ability Measure for Adults (GAMA) and determined to what extent the relationship between the subscales varied by gender. The participants consisted of 86 traditional, undergraduate students from a cross-section of classes in the Department of Education at a southern university. Two data collection instruments were used in this study: the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test, (MSCEIT), and the General Ability Measure for Adults (GAMA). One of the study's most important results is that the General Ability Measure for Adults Total score is a significant predictor of the MSCEIT Understanding Emotions (UE) subscale score when controlling for the students' grade point average. In addition, grade point average is a significant predictor of the Managing Emotions and Perceiving Emotions subscale scores when controlling for the total GAMA IQ scores. Lastly, when the MSCEIT Understanding Emotions (UE) subscale was controlled for, gender proved to be significant in the prediction of grade point average. However, no additional statistically significant differences were discovered for females and males on the remaining MSCEIT (Perceiving Emotions, Facilitating Thought, and Managing Emotions) and GAMA subscale scores (Matching, Analogies, Sequences, and Construction). In conclusion, the results of this study add to the literature in Educational Psychology concerning the relationships between the emotional and cognitive intelligence of college students and provide a better understanding of the role that emotions play when college students are trying to solve complex cognitive problems.
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